Active clinical trials for "Diverticulum, Colon"

Laparoscopic (key-hole) large bowel resection is a minimally invasive procedure when compared to open large bowel resection, but is still associated with a significant amount of pain and discomfort. Analgesia is commonly provided by a multi-modal technique involving varying combinations of paracetamol, Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), regional analgesia and oral or parenteral opioids. While epidural analgesia is considered the gold standard for open colo-rectal procedures it can be associated with significant complications and may delay hospital discharge in laparoscopic procedures. Opioids are associated with an increased incidence of nausea, vomiting and sedation and reduced bowel motility which can also prolong recovery. Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) block is a technique which numbs the nerves carrying pain sensation from the abdominal wall and provides effective and safe analgesia with minimal systemic side effects. Their perceived benefits are thought to relate to reduced opioid consumption and therefore reduced opioid side effects. The investigators believe ultrasound guided TAP blocks will reduce pain and morphine consumption with a resultant improved patient satisfaction, earlier return of bowel function and earlier hospital discharge. The key research question the investigators are trying to answer is whether TAP block provide better pain relief than local anaesthetic infiltration of the laparoscopic port sites. Both techniques are currently being used in our hospital and a retrospective audit demonstrated better analgesia and lower consumption of morphine in the TAP block group.The differences were not statistically significant as the number patients in the audit were not large enough.The investigators are hoping that this study will demonstrate that the difference is real by recruiting the necessary number of patients into each group (36 per group)

Diverticular bleeding is the most common cause of acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) in Western populations. Although self-limited in 85% of cases, some patients may require hospitalization with blood transfusion and emergent intervention, with significant associated morbidity and mortality. Up to 25% of patients with an initial bleeding episode will have subsequent episodes. Diverticula form at weak points along the colon wall, where the vasa recta enter the circular muscle layer of the colon. Diverticular bleeding is attributed to thinning of the blood vessels as they cross over the dome of a diverticulum. Endoscopic clipping of actively bleeding colonic diverticula has been recognized as a safe and effective treatment for acute LGIB since the mid1990s. Patients selected would have had previous colonoscopy to exclude other causes of bleeding (e.g. angiodysplasia, colorectal cancer). The investigators propose prophylactic elective endoscopic diverticular clipping in patients who have had at least 1 episode of acute LGIB requiring hospitalization. This would involve applying endoscopic clips to the base of every diverticula in a patient's colon, such that any bleeding source would effectively be excluded. The investigators would later reevaluate patients for colonoscopic appearance of diverticula to assess their diverticular disease. The investigators hypothesize that patients undergoing endoscopic diverticular clipping will not have repeat episodes of bleeding.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols are programs aiming to implement patients recovery following surgical procedures developed about 25 years ago. ERAS protocols are based on a multi-disciplinary approach encompassing surgery, anesthesiology, nutrition and nursing; each specialty has to fulfill a number of items which have been demonstrated to reduce morbidity rates, hospital stay and to implement functional recovery comparing standard approach. Accordingly, ERAS society developed a Guidelines for a number of procedures, including colorectal. The aim of this study is to evaluate the adherence over the last years to these protocols in eight Department of Surgery in Rome in a series of colorectal cancer patients. Secondary aims are to investigate the correlation of the items adherence with surgical outcome and to establish a network of hospitals aiming to promote ERAS approach on a regional base.

This study is to evaluate the performance of Hemospray for the teatment of nonvariceal lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

The Diverticular Inflammation and Complication Assessment (DICA) is an endoscopic classification for diverticulosis and diverticular disease of the colon. The aim of the study is to show that DICA classification is a valid parameter to predict the risk of acute diverticulitis occurrence/recurrence and the need of surgery in patients suffering from diverticulosis/diverticular disease of the colon.

The proposed study is a post marketing, observational, retrospective data collection intended to gather and record data on patients treated with the ColonRing™ device in routine clinical practice at a single center. The data will assist in further evaluating the performance of the ColonRing™ device in regards to the creation of a colorectal anastomosis. Hypothesis:The performance of the ColonRing™, determined by the rate of complications, will be within the acceptable range reported in the literature for alternative treatment modalities.

To determine the clinical characteristics and risk factors for the onset of diverticular disease and its complications in the Italian population.

Colonic diverticular disease is a highly prevalent condition in Western populations. The prevalence increases age-dependently from 5% at 40 years to 65% by the age of 85 years (1-3). The majority remain asymptomatic. However, a significant proportion of the patient population develops complications, such as diverticulitis with or without symptoms (10-20%) (1, 4-10). Perforated diverticulitis is rare with an estimated incidence of 4 per 100.000 per year, but the associated mortality rate is 22% to 39% (9, 11, 12). In the United States, the complications related to diverticular disease account for 130.000 hospitalizations each year, resulting in substantial health care costs (13). In Europe, it is estimated that approximately 23.600 deaths per year can be attributed to complicated diverticular disease, and the mortality will probably increase in the future due to the aging population (15-17). Several case studies report an overall increase in the incidence of diverticulitis, based on the increase in hospitalizations (18). Kang et al, reported a 16% increased male admission rate and 12% female admission rate for diverticulitis, between 1989/1990 and 1999/2000 (19). Aging and the Western diet, low in fiber and high in fat, in combination with increased intraluminal pressure and alterations in colonic motility are considered important etiological factors. A disturbance in large bowel motility is suggested to be a common pathophysiological feature in IBS and diverticular disease (20, 21). Based on observations that IBD, subgroups of IBS and (symptomatic) diverticular disease share clinical symptoms, the hypothesis is derived that they might also share pathophysiological factors like low grade inflammation, changed microbiota composition and activity, and increased intestinal permeability. The identification of clinical and pathophysiological factors associated with an increased risk for complicated diverticular disease may help to identify patients with diverticular disease, prevent complications, develop strategies to improve quality of life and reduce the related health care costs. Therefore we aim to investigate the composition of luminal and mucosal intestinal microbiota and the intestinal permeability in the development of diverticular disease and complicated diverticular disease. We hypothesize that both the intestinal microbiota and intestinal permeability are altered in patients with (current- or previous history of complicated) diverticular disease.

The proposed study is a post marketing, observational, retrospective data collection intended to gather and record data on patients treated with the ColonRing device in routine clinical practice at 4-6 centers. The data will assist in future evaluating the performance of the ColonRing device in regards to the creation of a colorectal anastomosis in Low Anterior Resection procedures. Hypothesis: The performance of the ColonRing, determined by the rate of complications, will be within the acceptable range reported in the literature for alternative treatment modalities.