Week 5.2 - Colorectal Surgery Flashcards
What is the most to least common site of CRC?
- 43% proximal colon
- 30% distal colon
- 27% rectum
colon and rectum respond differently to chemo
What do we perform surgery on?
- CRC
- Polyps
- Functional bowel problems
- Pelvic floor disease
- benign issues - fistulas, fissures, piles, peritoneal malignancies, anal cancers
What are types of surgery we carry out?
- open surgery
- endoscopic
- laparoscopic/robotics/NOTES
What are functions of the colon?
- water+electrolyte absorption
- production and absorption of vitamins K and B
- Storage of faeces
- hosts gut microbiota
What do we use to screen colorectal cancers and who do we screen?
- qFIT - quantitative faecal haemoglobin levels.
- 50-74
- range 0-200. 80+ is concern and we do colonoscopy to caecum
Why do we remove polyps?
- prophylatic purposes
- commonly involves in transition from normal epithelium to malignancy
- develop mutation which then can become severe dysplasia and eventually adenocarcinoma
How do we remove polyps?
- depends on size
- some hot snare polypectomy
- larger take longer
- when many, sometimes resort to colectomy
What symptoms do colorectal patients commonly complain of?
- abdominal pain
- bleeding
- change in bowel habits
- weight loss, fatigue, vomiting
What differentiates low risk from watch-and-wait patients?
- low risk under 40 and less than 6 weeks - typically haemorrhoids
- watch and wait 6 weeks and older - assess and review to see recurring symptoms. try colonoscopy or CT colon
How do you investigate a colon abnormality?
- colonoscopy with biopsies
- CT abdomen and pelvis with contrast
- do MRI if tumour in pelvis.
- PET for metastasis
- Stage with TNM
What do you often do pre-op for colon surgery?
- for colon, straight to surgery often
- for rectum, commonly chemo/RT neo-adjuvant if tumour threatens our ability to get full resection, determined by MRI.
What occurs during a rectal cancer surgery?
entire rectum removed, as well as mesorectum, lymph tisse and blood supply to the rectum - ensures R0 resection
What is an R0 vs R1 resection?
R0 - full resection of tumour
R1 - some tumour left
How do we ensure we get a R0 resection?
CT and (MRI for rectum) scanning to see if perforation of tumour. if present, do chemo/RT neo-adjuvant therapy to shrink first
What are different aims of treatment?
- resection
- restoring intestinal continuity via anastamoses
- stoma
- palliative