Obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2) is rapidly increasing worldwide with 26% of the UK population being obese and 38% being overweight. Obesity is intimately related to several life-limiting conditions including colorectal cancer (CRC). Obese patients have a higher degree of perioperative systemic inflammatory response (SIR) and an increased risk of perioperative complications. The aim of this current study was to investigate whether robotic-assisted surgery mitigates the effects of obesity in left sided CRC resections on the SIR and clinical outcomes. All patients undergoing left-sided colorectal cancer resections from May 2021 to May 2023 were, prospectively, entered into a database with patient characteristics and perioperative short-term outcomes recorded. CRP was considered a surrogate for SIR. The relationship between obesity and complications were examined using Chi Square for linear association, Kruskal-Wallis for continuous data and multivariate binary logistic regression model. 221 patients who underwent RAS for left-sided CRC were analysed. Obesity was associated with more comorbidity (ASA, p < 0.01) and SSI (p < 0.05) but not with age, sex, procedure or pathology. POD3 CRP < 150 mg/l was also associated with obesity (p < 0.01). In turn, greater comorbidity was associated with age (p < 0.001), site of resection (p < 0.05), SSI (p < 0.05), postoperative blood transfusion (p < 0.01) and LOS (p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, only greater ASA (p < 0.05) and surgical procedure (p < 0.01) were associated with the development of an SSI independently. Greater comorbidity but not obesity was independently associated with postoperative SIR and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing RAS. These results support the use of RAS for left sided CRC resections, particularly in the obese.

Colorectal cancer stands as a predominant cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Despite progressive strides in surgical methodologies, the specter of postoperative complications is very large, significantly impacting both morbidity and mortality rates. This review aims to meticulously examine existing scholarly works to gauge the prevalence, severity, and therapeutic approaches to postoperative complications arising from colorectal cancer surgeries.

Employing a systematic approach, this study reviewed 135 peer-reviewed publications from the period of 2000-2023. The corpus was organized into categories reflective of the postoperative complications discussed: anastomotic leakage, port-site metastases, small bowel adhesions and obstructions, thrombosis, ileus, postoperative infections, urinary dysfunctions, and cardiovascular dysfunctions. Advanced artificial intelligence tools were leveraged for in-depth literature searches and semantic analyses to pinpoint research lacunae.

The analysis revealed that anastomotic leakage and postoperative infections garnered the majority of academic focus, representing 35% and 25% of the studies, respectively. Conversely, port-site metastases and cardiovascular dysfunctions were less frequently examined, accounting for merely 5% and 3% of the literature. The reviewed studies indicate a disparity in the reported prevalence rates of each complication, oscillating between 3% and 20%. Furthermore, the review identified a dearth of evidence-based management protocols, underscored by a pronounced heterogeneity in treatment guidelines.

The literature is replete with analyses on anastomotic leakage and postoperative infections; however, there exists a glaring scarcity of exhaustive research on other postoperative complications. This review emphasizes the pressing need for uniform treatment guidelines and spotlights areas in dire need of further research, aiming at the comprehensive enhancement of patient outcomes following colorectal cancer surgery.

Robotic-assisted surgery has revolutionised minimally invasive approaches, particularly in colorectal surgery. While many single-center studies on colorectal surgeries exist in present literature, including experiences with Senhance® Robotic Systems, comprehensive multi-center studies are lacking. This study, conducted through the TransEnterix European Patient Registry ("TRUST"), aims to assess the safety and feasibility in this context. The present study explored procedural times, complications, robotic malfunction and limitations, adverse events and pain management outcomes for colorectal procedures, including sigmoid resection, right hemicolectomy and rectal surgery collected in two European centers. Data from 355 colorectal surgeries showed that the median duration of surgery was 147.2 min (IQR: 124.3-183.0), the docking time was reported with a median of 3.4 min (IQR: 2.0-5.4) and the console time was found at a mean of 84.4 min (SD: 33.6). Despite minimal blood loss, pain scores, and robotic malfunction, 2.9% of the cases (10 instances) required conversions to either an open or laparoscopic approach. Further, most robotic limitations were attributed to limited motion (18.9%, 67 cases) and collisions (11.5%, 41 cases). Adverse events (24 cases, 6.8%) were effectively managed, with 23 instances judged completely unrelated to the robotic system. This study underscores the positive outcomes and safety profile of Senhance® Robotic Systems in colorectal surgery, contributing valuable insights for future research and clinical practice.

Postoperative complications remain a paramount concern for surgeons and healthcare practitioners.

To present a comprehensive analysis of the Estimation of Physiologic Ability and Surgical Stress (E-PASS) scoring system's efficacy in predicting postoperative complications following abdominal surgery.

A systematic search of published studies was conducted, yielding 17 studies with pertinent data. Parameters such as preoperative risk score (PRS), surgical stress score (SSS), comprehensive risk score (CRS), postoperative complications, postoperative mortality, and other clinical data were collected for meta-analysis. Forest plots were employed for continuous and binary variables, with χ2 tests assessing heterogeneity (P value).

Patients experiencing complications after abdominal surgery exhibited significantly higher E-PASS scores compared to those without complications [mean difference and 95% confidence interval (CI) of PRS: 0.10 (0.05-0.15); SSS: 0.04 (0.001-0.08); CRS: 0.19 (0.07-0.31)]. Following the exclusion of low-quality studies, results remained valid with no discernible heterogeneity. Subgroup analysis indicated that variations in sample size and age may contribute to heterogeneity in CRS analysis. Binary variable meta-analysis demonstrated a correlation between high CRS and increased postoperative complication rates [odds ratio (OR) (95%CI): 3.01 (1.83-4.95)], with a significant association observed between high CRS and postoperative mortality [OR (95%CI): 15.49 (3.75-64.01)].

In summary, postoperative complications in abdominal surgery, as assessed by the E-PASS scoring system, are consistently linked to elevated PRS, SSS, and CRS scores. High CRS scores emerge as risk factors for heightened morbidity and mortality. This study establishes the accuracy of the E-PASS scoring system in predicting postoperative morbidity and mortality in abdominal surgery, underscoring its potential for widespread adoption in effective risk assessment.

Renal function is closely related to cancer prognosis. Since preoperative renal insufficiency has been identified as a risk factor for postoperative complications, this study aimed to investigate the effect of preoperative creatinine clearance rate (CrCl) on short-term prognosis of patients undergoing colorectal surgery.

A retrospective analysis was conducted of the electronic health records of 526 adult patients who underwent elective colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery from September 2014 to February 2019 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. Cases were divided into two groups according to CrCl level and clinical variables were compared. Risk factors associated with postoperative complications were evaluated through univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.

A total of 526 patients met the inclusion criteria. The overall rate of postoperative complications was 28.14%. Overall, the incidence of postoperative complications was significantly higher in the low CrCl patients. A low-level CrCl, multi-organ combined resection, and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) were independent risk factors for short-term complications in patients with CRC. However, a low CrCl was identified as an independent risk factor for short-term postoperative complications in elderly, but not young patients in a subgroup analysis.

Preoperative low-level CrCl, multi-organ combined resection, and CCI were significant risk factors of postoperative complications in CRC patients. Preoperative low-level CrCl and multi-organ combined resection has a poor prognostic impact for elderly patients with CRC. These findings should have important implications for health care decision-making among patients with CRC who are at higher risk for post-operative complications.

Robotic colorectal procedures may overcome the disadvantages of laparoscopic surgery. While the literature has multiple studies from specialized centers, experience from general surgeons is minimal. The purpose of this case series is to review elective partial colon and rectal resections by a general surgeon. 170 consecutive elective partial colon and rectal resections were reviewed. The cases were analyzed by type of procedure and total cases. The outcomes analyzed were procedure time, conversion rate, length of stay, complications, anastomotic leak, and node retrieval in the cancer cases. There were 71 right colon resections, 13 left colon resections, 44 sigmoid colon resection sand 42 low anterior resections performed. The mean length of procedure was 149 min. The conversion rate was 2.4%. The mean length of stay was 3.5 days. The percentage of cases one or more complications was 8.2%. There were 3 anastomotic leaks out of 159 anastomoses (1.9%). The mean lymph node retrieval was 28.4 for the 96 cancer cases. Robot partial colon and rectal resections on the Da Vinci Xi robot can be completed safely and efficiently by a community general surgeon. Prospective studies are needed to demonstrate reproducibility by community surgeons performing robot colon resections.