Frontiers In Colorectal Disease

Frontiers in Colorectal Disease presents a compilation of articles from the international conference titled ‘Frontiers in Colorectal Disease’. It discusses the aspects of functional disorders, neoplastic disease and inflammatory bowel disease. It addresses the practical management of a variety of disorders of the colon, rectum, and anus. Some of the topics covered in the book are the basis of functional intestinal symptoms; nervous control of the gut; physiological reactions of the gastrointestinal tract to stress; visceral pain; mechanisms of flatulence and diarrhoea; pathophysiology of constipation; Arbuthnot Lane’s disease; and megacolon in adults. The results of surgical treatment of constipation are fully covered. The anorectal incontinence of electrophysiological tests is discussed in detail. The text describes in depth the risk factors in childbirth causing damage to the pelvic floor innervation. A retrospective study of the results of post-anal repair is presented completely. A chapter is devoted to the gracilis muscle transposition for anal incontinence. Another section focuses on the magnitude of risk for cancer in patients with colorectal adenomas. The book can provide useful information to doctors, surgeons, students, and researchers.

Frontiers in Colorectal Disease presents a compilation of articles from the international conference titled 'Frontiers in Colorectal Disease'. It discusses the aspects of functional disorders, neoplastic disease and inflammatory bowel disease. It addresses the practical management of a variety of disorders of the colon, rectum, and anus. Some of the topics covered in the book are the basis of functional intestinal symptoms; nervous control of the gut; physiological reactions of the gastrointestinal tract to stress; visceral pain; mechanisms of flatulence and diarrhoea; pathophysiology of const...

This book is a topical review of issues the editors consider to be "hot topics" and will be of interest to qualified consultant colorectal surgeons and those performing general surgery with an interest in colorectal surgery. In addition, the topics picked are likely to be ones that canditates taking the Intercollegiate Examination in General Surgery will be quizzed upon. It is not intended to be a textbook covering all aspects of colorectal surgery. Rather, it is meant to be an up-to-date view of current and probable near future advances. Frontiers in neoplasia, inflammatory bowel disease, anal disorders and management are covered by acknowledged experts, known to be active in the field. The implications of deep pelvic dissection and pouch surgery in males and females are sensitively explored. Each chapter contains three main sections entitled 'What is the problem/issue?', 'Where are we now?' and 'Where are we going?'. Referencing for the first two is key and current; the last section is speculative with the occasional reference. This volume should find a place on the coloproctologist's bookshelf as an exciting review of contemporary themes, complementing traditional textbooks.

Despite lifestyle improvements, the incidence of rectal cancer is increasing in industrialised countries. Rapid advances in technology, growing knowledge of the biological history of the disease and closer attention to patients' quality of life after surgery have led to a less invasive approach. In the last 15 years, the surgical approach has shifted from extended resection to sphincter-saving procedures, featuring a multidisciplinary approach and a high level of specialisation. The experienced surgeon can plan and choose the "right treatment for the right patient" only with the support of the radiologist, endoscopist and pathologist (preoperative staging), oncologist and radiotherapist (neoadjuvant therapy), and psychologist and stomatherapist (rehabilitation). In addition, the difficult problems of salvage procedure and the reconstruction of anal sphincter after abdominal resection are explored. The aim of this book is to clarify the rapid advances and to offer guidelines for doctors dealing with rectal cancer. Taking into account indications, contraindications, risks, benefits and controversies, the authors offer clear and practice-oriented answers for a wide range of specialists and experts, as well as those new to the field.

Recent developments have favourably and extensively altered general surgical practice. As editor I have happily been able to select certain topics of new and major interest for detailed discussion and have thus had the opportunity to collect these authoritative submissions within the covers of one text. The range of topics is broad. Endoscopy has changed the nature of both investigation and treatment of much gastrointestinal disease and the therapeutic uses of endoscopy continue to grow. That sophisticated new tool of the radiologist, computerized axial tomography, has revolu tionized the diagnosis of intra-abdominal disease, very often permitting precise localization of hitherto occult disease, and, as might be expect ed, it has become helpful in determining both the nature and extent of surgical and other therapy. Although an invasive procedure, intra abdominal angiography has similarly come of age as a means of localiz ing gastrointestinal haemorrhage and controlling such bleeding. Unfortunately, intra-abdominal malignancy continues to be a major source of concern to the general surgeon and the discovery that such tumours are associated with unusual markers, termed oncofetal anti gens, suggests that early diagnosis and early detection of recurrence may yet be feasible. Adjuvant or post-surgical therapy is an exciting de velopment in terms of prolonging the disease-free interval in women with breast cancer limited to regional lymph nodes. Equally efficacious therapy is not yet available for patients with gastrointestinal cancer, highlighting the need for more specific drugs and drug combinations.

The treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has posed a major challenge since its appearance. Biomedical researchers, physicians, gastroenterologists, and surgeons have struggled to improve the quality of life of their patients and have sought, above all else, to keep the disease under remission for as long as possible. Blockers for tumoral necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) were the first biological drugs to be discovered and for this reason they played a crucial role in the subsequent evolution of IBD treatment. The aim of this book is to provide an overview of such drugs and the latest developments in IBD immunopathology. Our contributors discuss the main indications, efficacy, and possible side effects of the different types of drugs available today for IBD treatment.