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Background: During Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic entire countries rapidly ran out of intensive care beds, occupied by critically ill infected patients. Elective surgery was initially halted and acute non-deferrable surgical care drastically limited. The presence of COVID-19 patients into intensive care units (ICU) is currently decreasing but their congestion have restricted our therapeutic strategies during the last months., Methods: In the COVID-19 era eighteen patients (8 men, 10 women) with a mean age of 80 years, needing undelayable abdominal surgery underwent awake open surgery at our Department. Prior to surgery, all patients underwent COVID-19 investigation. In all cases locoregional anesthesia (LA) was performed. Intraoperative and postoperative pain has been monitored and regularly assessed. A distinct pathway has been set up to keep patients of uncertain COVID-19 diagnosis separated from all other patients., Results: Mean operative time was 104 minutes. In only one case conversion to general anesthesia was necessary. Postoperative pain was always well controlled. None of them required postoperative intensive care support. Only one perioperative complication occurred. Early readmissions after surgery were never observed., Conclusions: On the basis of our experience awake laparotomy under LA resulted feasible, safe, painless and, in specific cases, the only viable option. For patients presenting fragile cardiovascular and respiratory, reserves and in whom general anesthesia (GA) would presumably increase morbidity and mortality we encourage LA as an alternative to GA. In the COVID-19 era, it has become part of our ICU-preserving strategy allowing us to carry out undeferrable surgeries.

Aim: Aim of the study was to report the experience of a single center in the surgical treatment of anastomotic leak after colorectal resection for cancer, focusing on its incidence, diagnosis and management, with particular attention to surgical options., Methods: Demograhic and clinical data from 1284 consecutive patients operated on for colorectal cancer during a period of 11 years, were prospectively collected and inserted into an electronic database. For the purpose of the study, only patients in whom an anastomosis was performed were considered. Therefore, 128 patients (9.9%) were excluded and 1156 represent the study population. All complications occurring after surgery were systematically recorded. The incidence of colorectal anastomotic leak (CAL), its management and outcome was analyzed., Results: An ileo-colic anastomosis was performed in 426 cases (36.8%), ileo-rectal in 29 (2.5%), colo-colic in 409 (35.4), colo-rectal with partial mesorectal excision in 211 (18.3%) and lower colorectal or coloanal anastomosis with total mesorectal excision and temporary loop ileostomy in 81 (7%). Colorectal anastomotic leak occurred in 78/1156 patients (6.7%), accounting for 19% of overall complications. Thirty-six out of 78 patients (46.2%) were successfully treated conservatively, whereas 42 (53.8%) underwent re-operation. Nine out of 78 patients (11.5%) with CAL died owing to an uncontrolled sepsis. All had undergone previous re-intervention, with a post-operative mortality rate of 21.4% (9 out of 42)., Conclusion: Mortality rate in patients undergoing re-operation for colorectal anastomotic leakeage is still high, and accounts for up to 40% of the deaths after colorectal resection for cancer. In the light of these data, strategic clinical decisions are mandatory to optimize the selection of patients who need an early and fast surgical approach. What does this paper add to the literature? Systematic and prospective data recording is an essential tool to assess the quality of healthcare and to plan quality improvement programs. Every effort should be done to reach an early diagnosis of CAL, possibly in a pre-clinical phase in which non clinical methods could be used to predict it.

Aim: The incidence of anastomotic fistula after colorectal surgery did not significantly change in the literature during the last years, despite the advances in the treatment with the use of surgical staplers. Taking into account this and other considerations, the authors present their recent experience in the surgical treatment of colorectal carcinoma, referring in particular to anastomotic fistula, related postoperative mortality and results of consequent reoperations., Methods: From January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2005, 448 patients affected with colorectal cancer were operated on at the Surgical Department of Valduce Hospital in Como, and in 373 cases an anastomosis was performed, subdivided as follows: 144 ileocolic (38.6%), 10 ileorectal (2.7%), 219 colocolic or colorectal (58.7%)., Results: Twenty-five out of 373 anastomotic leaks developed (6.7%). In 9 cases (36%), the fistulas spontaneously closed with conservative treatment, while in 16 (64%) reoperation was necessary. With reference to the anatomical site, the leak occurred in 9 out of 144 patients submitted to right hemicolectomy (6.3%), in 14 out of 219 patients after left hemicolectomy or anterior resection of the rectum (6.4%) and in 2 out of 10 patients (20%) after total colectomy. The following is a detailed report of the therapeutic choices adopted by the authors. Four out of 16 reoperated patients (25%) died postoperatively from infective complications related to the fistula, while the total postoperative mortality was 2.2% (10/448). Therefore, anastomotic dehiscence was responsible for 40% of all postoperative deaths., Conclusions: Among all the different operative choices, the authors give their preference to the direct suture of the fistula and loop ileostomy, which they consider the best available choice. The subsequent operation of ileostomy closure is easier for the surgeon to perform and for the patient to withstand than colostomy closure, particularly after Hartmann's operation.

The occurrence of an angiosarcoma of the residual breast after conservative surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy for early mammary carcinoma is a very rare event. In western countries only 57 cases have been published in the literature (5 in Italy) since the first described case in 1987. Radiotherapy seems to be the most important etiological factor in the development of the neoplasm. Diagnosis is often delayed, owing to the "benign" aspect of the lesion. The only effective treatment is residual mastectomy, because chemotherapy is ineffective. The prognosis is often dismal, because of the aggressive behaviour of the lesion in most cases. The case of a patient with a multicentric secondary angiosarcoma of the breast recently operated on is described.

Background and Aim: Videolaparocholecystectomy is now regarded as the gold standard of treatment for lithiasis of the gallbladder., Methods: The authors report a retrospective of 258 consecutive videolaparocholecystectomies performed by the Surgical Division of Valduce Hospital in Como between 1994 and 1996. The authors describe the indications for VLC, techniques for the induction of pneumoperitoneum and the realisation of VLC and the percentage and caused of conversion., Results: During this period a steady reduction was noted in the number of laparotomic cholecystectomies and a parallel increase in cholecystectomies performed using a laparoscopic technique (69.2 vs. 30.8% in 1994; 76.4 vs. 23.2% in 1995; 91.1 vs. 8.9% in 1996). A gradual extension of the indications for laparoscopic surgery can be seen leading to the application of this technique in patients suffering from acute cholecystic infection, hydros or empyema of the gallbladder. Conversion were required in 25 cases in this series (9.7%). During the last year analysed there were a total of 9 conversions (7.9%) even though the percentage of acute cholecystitis accounted for 38.9% of all cases of cholecystectomy., Conclusions: In line with the experience of other centres, the authors, currently propose VLC as the treatment of choice for lithiasic pathologies of the cholecyst.