Search

Many patients with Crohn's disease (CD) require fecal diversion. To understand the long-term outcomes, we performed a multicenter review of the experience with retained excluded rectums.We reviewed the medical records of all CD patients between 1990 and 2014 who had undergone diversionary surgery with retention of the excluded rectum for at least 6 months and who had at least 2 years of postoperative follow-up.From all the CD patients in the institutions' databases, there were 197 who met all our inclusion criteria. A total of 92 (46.7%) of 197 patients ultimately underwent subsequent proctectomy, while 105 (53.3%) still had retained rectums at time of last follow-up. Among these 105 patients with retained rectums, 50 (47.6%) underwent reanastomosis, while the other 55 (52.4%) retained excluded rectums. Of these 55 patients whose rectums remained excluded, 20 (36.4%) were symptom-free, but the other 35 (63.6%) were symptomatic. Among the 50 patients who had been reconnected, 28 (56%) were symptom-free, while 22(44%) were symptomatic. From our entire cohort of 197 cases, 149 (75.6%) either ultimately lost their rectums or remained symptomatic with retained rectums, while only 28 (14.2%) of 197, and only 4 (5.9%) of 66 with initial perianal disease, were able to achieve reanastomosis without further problems. Four patients developed anorectal dysplasia or cancer.In this multicenter cohort of patients with CD who had fecal diversion, fewer than 15%, and only 6% with perianal disease, achieved reanastomosis without experiencing disease persistence.Patients with distal Crohn’s disease often undergo colon resection with a stoma to divert the intestinal stream from the rectum in hopes of achieving sufficient healing to allow ultimate re-establishment of intestinal continuity. Patients and practitioners alike should be aware of the long-term success rates of this procedure. Our retrospective study of 197 patients found that half required later proctectomy and an additional one-quarter remained symptomatic with excluded rectums. Only 14% remained symptom-free after reanastomosis, and only 6% if perianal disease was the initial surgical indication. These data provide estimation of long-term surgical outcomes.

Migraine is a chronic and disabling disease affecting a significant proportion of the world's population. There is evidence that gastroparesis, a gastrointestinal (GI) dysmotility disorder in which transit of gastric contents is delayed, can occur in the setting of migraine. This article aims to review recent literature on overlap in the pathophysiology and clinical manifestations of migraine and gastroparesis and highlight management considerations when these disorders coexist.There has been increasing recognition of the importance of the connection between the GI tract and the brain, and mounting evidence for the overlap in the pathophysiology of migraine and gastroparesis specifically. There exists a complex interplay between the central, autonomic, and enteric nervous systems. Studies show that gastroparesis may be present during and between acute migraine attacks necessitating modification of management to optimize outcomes. Gastric dysmotility in the setting of migraine can impact absorption of oral migraine medications and alternate formulations should be considered for some patients. Noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation has been FDA cleared for migraine treatment and is also being studied in gastroparesis. Dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system is a significant feature in the pathophysiology of gut motility and migraine, making treatments that modulate the vagus nerve attractive for future research.