Colorectal and general surgery Flashcards
Name the main scars found from abdominal surgeries
Paramedian scar: Used for spleen, kidney, and adrenal operations
Pfannenstiel scar: Incision along pubic hairline – seen in Caesarean section, pelvic, bladder, and prostate surgery
Kocher scar: Gallbladder and biliary tract operations, with an incision inferior and parallel to the costal margin
Chevron (rooftop) scar: Inferior and parallel to both costal margins – associated with gastrectomy, oesophagectomy, bilateral adrenalectomy, hepatic resections, pancreatic operations. A Mercedes-Benz scar is an extension of this incision superiorly and is used for liver transplants
Lanz scar: Made at McBurney’s point and is a horizontal scar. Associated with open appendicectomy. A Gridiron (a.k.a. McBurney’s) scar is parallel to the inguinal ligament and present at McBurney’s point
Rutherford-Morrison (hockey stick) incision: More common in kidney transplants and colonic resections
Mercedes Benz scar: For liver transplant or Whipple’s (in pancreatic cancer)
Midline scar: For major intra-abdominal surgery, typically in an emergency setting (e.g., perforation)
What is the aetiology of burns?
What are the types of burns?
What are the treatments for burns?
Refer if >5% body coverage if full thickness and >10% if partial thickness.
Airway
Breathing and pain management - opioids
IV fluids using Parkland’s formula if >10% coverage in children and 15% in adults
Tetanus nurse
Wound management nurses/ specialists - debridement
Referral
What is the Parkland formula?
4 x burn % x weight
What is Mirizzi syndrome?
What are the types of cholecystitis?
What are the symptoms of cholecystitis?
What is first line investigation for cholecystitis?
FBC, LFTs and CRP
US
HIDA
How is cholecystitis treated?
Depends if calculous or acalculous.
If calculous (90%) use IV fluids, antibiotics and surgery depending on if acute
If acalculous surgery is indicated as an emergency
What is the difference between hot elective and cold elective surgery?
> or < 6 weeks
What are the complications of a cholecystectomy?
Haemorrhage
Infection
post-cholecystectomy syndrome
What are the complications of cholecystitis?
Empyema, gangrenous cholecysititis, perforation, abscess formation, bile duct obstruction
What are the symptoms of ascending cholangitis?
Fever, jaundice, and RUQ pain (Reynolds = shock + confusion)
How is ascending cholangitis managed?
Gentamicin, routine antibiotics, percutaneous drainage, endoscopic drainage
How is chronic mesenteric ischaemia managed?
PTA = percutaneous transluminal angioplasty
What is chronic pancreatitis?
What causes chronic pancreatitis?
What are the symptoms?
What investigations can be done for chronic pancreatitis?
Endocrine and exocrine tissue damage of the pancreas caused by calcifications and cysts
80% of cases are caused by alcohol, but can be linked with CF, pancreatic cancer and metabolic causes like hypertryglicrides.
Epigastric pain 15-30 minutes after eating which is relieved by sitting forward. Bloating and weight loss due to malnourishment. Loss of fat soluble vitamins i.e. KADE and high sugars/ endocrine dysfuynction leading to thirst and fatigue.
Glucose, faecal elastase, imaging with CT to show calcification.
Manage pain - coeliac plexus block
Manage malnourishment - CREON
Manage the diabetes - insulin
Reduce alcohol and fatty foods
How are patients with FAP managed if found early?
Total colectomy and then ileo-anal pouch formation
What are colonic polyps?
Small, benign growths in the intestine.
Can be genetic such as linked to FAP or lynch syndrome, although may be due to a sendentary lifestyle.
Can cause mucus or bleeding in stool, mild abdominal pain.
Endoscopic resection can be done.
What are some risk factors for colorectal factors?
What are some signs of colorectal cancer?
What is TNM staging?
What is the screening for colorectal cancer?
What is the 2WW guideline for colorectal cancer?
What are the investigations for colorectal cancer?
What is the medical management for bowel cancers?
Family history like Peutz Jeugherz, FAP, lynch syndrome.
Obesity
Processed meat
Smoking
Alcohol
Bleeding, change in bowel habits, weight loss, IDA, bowel obstruction
T1 = submucosa, T2 = muscularis, T3 = serosal and T4 = outside of bowel. Nodes N1 = 1-4 nodes, N2 = >4 nodes, M0 or M1 if metasteses
60-74, FIT testing, reduces risk of dying by 16%
At 40 or above with Weight or Pain
At 50 or above with weight pain or bleeding
At 60 or above with iron deficiency anaemia
FBC, iron studies and colonoscopy
For patients unsuitable for surgery management is with chemotherapy (FOLFOX or FOLFIRI i.e. oxaliplatin/irinotecan plus folinic acid plus fluorouracil are the preferred regimens). New monoclonal antibody therapies are becoming available. Note that NICE concluded that cetuximab (anti-EGFR),
What determines whether an AP resection or anterior resection is done for rectal cancer?
For patients with rectal cancer suitable for surgery: Anterior resection for tumours >8 cm from the anal canal or involving the proximal 2/3 of the rectum. Abdomino-perineal (AP) resection for tumours <8 cm from the anal canal or involving the distal 1/3 of the rectum.
Patients with stage III disease benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.
Patients with stage IV disease benefit from adjuvant chemoradiotherapy
How is colon cancer treated surgically?
Stage I-III disease: surgical resection ± adjuvant chemotherapy.
Stage IV - neoadjuvant as well
What is Gardener’s syndrome?
Gardener’s syndrome is a variant of FAP in which patients may also develop epidermal cysts, supernumerary teeth, osteomas, and thyroid tumours.
Pancolectomy before 20
What is Lynch syndrome?
Is caused by a mutation in the mismatch repair genes MLH1/MSH2 and has an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern.
Patients have an 80% risk of developing colorectal cancer by their 30s.
There is increased risk of additional cancers such as gastric, endometrial, breast, and prostate cancer.
Patients are managed with regular endoscopic surveillance.
What is Peutz Jeugherz?
Is caused by a mutation in the STK11 gene and has an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern.
Patients typically present in their teens with mucocutaneous pigmentaiton and hamartomatous polyps.
How are anal fistulas managed?
Fistulotomy and seton placement
What are the types of bowel resection?
What are absolute contraindications for laproscopic surgery?
Obvious indication for open therapeutic intervention – Perforation, peritonitis, known intra-abdominal injury, complications of previous surgery, shock, evisceration or abdominal wall dehiscence
Acute intestinal obstruction associated with a massive (>4 cm) bowel dilatation – Can obscure the view making intervention harder.
Uncorrected coagulopathy – INR should be corrected to at least < 1.5, although some surgeons prefer INR to be even lower than this.
Tense or distended abdomen – Suspected intra-abdominal compartment syndrome
Trauma with hemodynamic instability
Clear indication of bowel injuries (e.g. presence of bile or evisceration
Compare and contrast direct and indirect inguinal hernias.
Direct is more commonly seen in older men and is linked to a hernia within Hesselbach’s triangle. Indirect is more common in young males and is linked with a patent processus vaginalis.
What are the features of a strangulated hernia?
Strangulated hernias are more painful (due to ischaemia), and present with nausea and vomiting and fever. They may present with bowel obstruction, and there can be reduced/absent bowel sounds.
How are hernias managed?
All hernias, irrespective of whether they are symptomatic or asymptomatic, should be referred for surgical repair. This typically involves open or laparoscopic mesh repair. Indirect hernias particularly require intervention due to the risk of strangulation.
Strangulated hernias are a surgical emergency and require prompt treatement with laparoscopic/open repair to avoid necrosis (death of bowel tissue).
How are children with inguinal hernia managed?
If there is a suspected serious complication such as strangulation or intestinal obstruction, arrange emergency hospital admission.
If hospital admission is not needed:
For children and young people aged less than 18 years:
Arrange urgent referral to a paediatric surgeon, preferably to be seen within 2 weeks.