Faculty Bibliography

Rectovaginal fistula is a rare but debilitating complication of a variety of pelvic operations. Management remains challenging with high incidence of failure. The majority of patients eventually require surgical intervention. Several surgical procedures have been described including local repair, muscle transposition, or laparotomy. Among the muscles used for rectovaginal fistula repair, the gracilis muscle interposition flap is an excellent option. However, in a small percentage of cases it fails, and alternative techniques should be entertained. We describe the case of a 50-year-old female who underwent stapled hemorrhoidopexy that was complicated by a 30 mm rectovaginal fistula, and required fecal diversion. Four months later, gracilis muscle interposition flap was performed but failed. The right gracilis flap was then re-used successfully as a "walking" flap. At three months the patient underwent closure of the temporary loop ileostomy, and continues to do well with no evidence of rectovaginal fistula recurrence one year later. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the use of a gracilis muscle as a "walking" flap for repair of a rectovaginal fistula, and should be considered as an alternative appropriate treatment for persistent rectovaginal fistulas after failure of initial gracilis muscle interposition flap.

Meckel's diverticulum is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract, with an overall incidence of approximately 2.2%. It is generally noted incidentally during laparotomy for management of other abdominal pathology. Complications are infrequent, developing in 4% of individuals with this abnormality, and are usually seen in childhood. Herein, we discuss the case of a 52-year-old Caucasian man presenting with a 1-day history of worsening central and right-sided abdominal pain. Initial evaluation posed a broad differential however, following conservative measures and unremarkable plain films, the patient developed peritoneal signs necessitating operative intervention. During diagnostic laparoscopy, a Meckel's diverticulum was noted to be inflamed and perforated by an intact fish bone. The patient was treated successfully with a segmental resection and primary anastomosis, and had an uneventful postoperative recovery.

BACKGROUND:The classic Whipple operation carries substantial risk of complications. A pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy might confer the benefit of decreased perioperative morbidity, but existing data comparing both techniques are inconclusive. METHODS:Using a propensity score model to adjust for potentially confounding differences in patient characteristics, 30-d mortality, operative time, red blood cell transfusion requirements, major complications, and length of hospital stay were compared between both techniques in the American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Separate analyses were carried out for underlying malignancy or benign disease, as defined by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes. RESULTS:A total of 6988 pancreaticoduodenectomies from 2005 through 2010 were included. In 5424 patients (77.6%) with underlying malignancy, there were no significant differences for 30-d mortality (2.4% versus 2.8%, P = 0.33) and major organ system complications (all P > 0.10). Patients undergoing the classic Whipple operation had a significantly longer operative time (389 versus 366 min, P < 0.01), longer length of hospital stay (13.1 versus 12.0 days, P < 0.01), and higher red blood cell transfusion requirements (1.0 versus 0.8 units, P < 0.01). Results were similar for 1564 patients (22.4%) with underlying benign disease, except for a higher occurrence of postoperative pulmonary (P = 0.02) and renal (P = 0.05) complications in patients undergoing the classic Whipple operation. CONCLUSIONS:Short-term outcomes after classic and pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy in this large, multicenter database are excellent, without significant differences in postoperative mortality and most major organ system complications. However, small advantages in resource and blood utilization may be accomplished with the pylorus-preserving technique.

BACKGROUND:The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence of postoperative surgical site infections (SSIs), operative times (OTs), and length of hospital stay (LOS) after open and laparoscopic ventral/incisional hernia repair (VIHR) using multicenter, prospectively collected data. METHODS:The incidence of postoperative SSIs, OTs, and LOS was determined for cases of VIHR in the American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database in 2009 and 2010. Open and laparoscopic techniques were compared using a propensity score model to adjust for differences in patient demographics, characteristics, comorbidities, and laboratory values. RESULTS:A total of 26,766 cases met the inclusion criteria; 21,463 cases were open procedures (reducible, n = 15,520 [72 %]; incarcerated/strangulated, n = 5,943 [28 %]), and 5,303 cases were laparoscopic procedures (reducible, n = 3,883 [73 %]; incarcerated/strangulated, n = 1,420 [27 %]). Propensity score adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were significantly different between open and laparoscopic VIHR for reducible and incarcerated/strangulated hernias with regard to superficial SSI (OR 5.5, p < 0.01 and OR 3.1, p < 0.01, respectively), deep SSI (OR 6.9, p < 0.01, and OR 8.0, p < 0.01, respectively) and wound disruption (OR 4.6, p < 0.01 and OR 9.3, p = 0.03, respectively). The risk for organ/space SSI was significantly greater for open operations among reducible hernias (OR 1.9, p = 0.02), but there was no significant difference between the open and laparoscopic repair groups for incarcerated/strangulated hernias (OR 0.8, p = 0.41). The OT was significantly longer for laparoscopic procedures, both for reducible (98.5 vs. 84.9 min, p < 0.01) and incarcerated/strangulated hernias (96.4 vs. 81.2 min, p < 0.01). LOS (mean, 95 % confidence interval) was significantly longer for open repairs for both reducible (open = 2.79, 2.59-3.00; laparoscopic = 2.39, 2.20-2.60; p < 0.01) and incarcerated/strangulated (open = 2.64, 2.55-2.73; laparoscopic = 2.17, 2.02-2.33; p < 0.01) hernias. CONCLUSIONS:Laparoscopic VIHR for reducible and incarcerated/strangulated hernias is associated with shorter LOS and decreased risk for superficial SSI, deep SSI, and wound disruption, but longer OTs when compared to open repair.

BACKGROUND: Management of maxillary defects is among the most challenging and controversial areas of head and neck reconstruction. The authors develop a treatment algorithm based on outcomes following free flap reconstruction of various maxillary defects. METHODS: A review of 246 maxillary free flap reconstructions was performed. RESULTS: The authors' analysis demonstrated that the palatoalveolar resection predicted use of soft-tissue (n = 200) versus osteocutaneous (n = 46) free flaps, depending on the location and extent of the defect. Whether the orbital floor or the entire orbital contents were resected also had implications for flap choice and whether bone grafts or alloplasts were needed. The perioperative complication rate was 37.8 percent, including a 3.3 percent incidence of flap loss. The long-term complication rate was 12.1 percent, including a 7.5 percent fistula rate. Complications related to orbital floor reconstruction were not dependent on the material used (p = 0.18). Greater than 80 percent speech intelligibility was achieved by 95.1 percent of patients, and 90.6 percent tolerated an unrestricted or soft diet. CONCLUSIONS: To restore both midfacial form and function, the palatoalveolar defect and the status of the orbital floor and orbital contents must be addressed. Defects that involve the anterior maxilla should be addressed with osteocutaneous free flaps if possible, and posterior defects can often be reconstructed with soft-tissue free flaps. The orbital floor requires rigid reconstruction, with either bone grafts or alloplasts, unless the orbital contents have also been exenterated, in which case a soft-tissue free flap should be used to close the orbital cavity.