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Background: Anaemia is highly prevalent in people with advanced, palliative cancer yet sufficiently effective and safe treatments are lacking. Oral iron is poorly tolerated, and blood transfusion offers only transient benefits. Intravenous iron has shown promise as an effective treatment for anaemia but its use for people with advanced, palliative cancer lacks evidence. Aims: To assess feasibility of the trial design according to screening, recruitment, and attrition rates. To evaluate the efficacy of intravenous iron to treat anaemia in people with solid tumours, receiving palliative care. Design: A multicentre, randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled trial of intravenous iron (ferric derisomaltose, Monofer®). Outcomes included trial feasibility, change in blood indices, and change in quality of life via three validated questionnaires (EQ5D5L, QLQC30, and the FACIT-F) over 8 weeks. (ISRCTN; 13370767). Setting/Participants: People with anaemia and advanced solid tumours who were fatigued with a performance status ⩽2 receiving support from a specialist palliative care service. Results: 34 participants were randomised over 16 months (17 iron, 17 placebo). Among those eligible 47% of people agreed to participate and total study attrition was 26%. Blinding was successful in all participants. There were no serious adverse reactions. Results indicated that intravenous iron may be efficacious at improving participant haemoglobin, iron stores and select fatigue specific quality of life measures compared to placebo. Conclusion: The trial was feasible according to recruitment and attrition rates. Intravenous iron increased haemoglobin and may improve fatigue specific quality of life measures compared to placebo. A definitive trial is required for confirmation.

This case series aims to demonstrate that hernia surgery is safe and feasible using the Versius® robotic system from CMR Surgical, and to describe the surgical techniques used. It is the first series published using this novel system. Forty-one consecutive hernia repair cases were completed using Versius®, including inguinal and ventral hernias. Data were collected prospectively on a number of pre-, peri-, and postoperative outcomes. Techniques are described for robotic transabdominal preperitoneal repair of inguinal hernia, and intraperitoneal onlay mesh repair of ventral hernia. Thirty-two inguinal and nine ventral hernia repairs were performed over a 12-month period. The population were 88% male with a mean body mass index of 27.4 ± 3.5. There were no conversions to open surgery. Median length of stay was 0 days. Six patients (15%) experienced urinary retention, and there were 2 further minor complications with no major complications, readmissions or reoperations. Use of the Versius® system for robotic hernia surgery is safe, with comparable results to existing robotic systems. Implementation is possible with minimal changes to established surgical techniques.

INTRODUCTION There are a number of small case series examining new robotic surgical systems, but this is the first large case series assessing the feasibility of the Versius® system from CMR Surgical (1 Evolution Business Park, Cambridge, UK) in a multi-specialty setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS All patients undergoing Versius®-assisted surgery in a previously robot-naive centre were consented for collection of data on demographics, pre-, intra-, and postoperative outcomes. Data collection was performed prospectively from the start of the robotic surgical programme. RESULTS 160 operations were performed over a 19-month period, including 68 colorectal, 60 gynaecology, and 32 general surgery cases. The conversion rate to open surgery was 4.4% for colorectal, and 0% for gynaecology and general surgery. Median length of stay was 6 days for colorectal, 1 day for gynaecology, and 0 days for general surgery. Other outcomes were comparable to existing literature for robotic assisted surgery. CONCLUSION The Versius® system is safe and feasible for use in a multi-specialty minimally invasive surgery programme, including colorectal, general surgical & gynaecological cases, and operative volume can be safely and easily scaled up in a district general hospital setting without prior robotic surgical experience.

Aims To identify presentations of LGI bleeds, assimilate learning and make appropriate recommendations to improve management in hospital. Methods 336 patients with ‘PR bleed’ on their coding summary in 2019 were identified. Data obtained through eCare and EDM was analysed as outlined: Results 69% were emergency presentations of LGI bleed and the remaining 31% were elective admissions. 5% of emergency LGI bleed patients were discharged on the same day as compared to 97.4% of elective patients. The remaining 80% of emergency patients went on to have outpatient investigations. Positive cases included haemorrhoids, inflammatory bowel disease and diverticulitis. Conclusions All emergency presentations occurred during inpatient stay creating disparities in manner of presentation and duration of admission between cohorts. However, outcomes between the cohorts were broadly similar, suggesting absence of significant disparities in management. Colonoscopy is the gold standard diagnostic investigation in LGI bleeds however, flexible-sigmoidoscopy can be considered in under 50’s. 80% of patients had a colonoscopy during admission as per guidelines. No reasoning was documented for patients who underwent other methods of investigation as first-line, thus creating a need for improved documentation when deviating from guidelines. Recommendation to re-audit in 1 year to assess changes.

Background Preoperative anaemia is common and occurs in 5% to 76% of patients preoperatively. It is associated with an increased risk of perioperative allogeneic blood transfusion, longer hospital stay, and increased morbidity and mortality. Iron deficiency is one of the most common causes of anaemia. Oral and intravenous iron therapy can be used to treat anaemia. Parenteral iron preparations have been shown to be more effective in conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, chronic heart failure and postpartum haemorrhage due to rapid correction of iron stores. A limited number of studies has investigated iron therapy for the treatment of preoperative anaemia. The aim of this Cochrane Review is to summarise the evidence for iron supplementation, both enteral and parenteral, for the management of preoperative anaemia. Objectives To evaluate the effects of preoperative iron therapy (enteral or parenteral) in reducing the need for allogeneic blood transfusions in anaemic patients undergoing surgery. Search methods We ran the search on 30 July 2018. We searched the Cochrane Injuries Group's Specialised Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, the Cochrane Library), Ovid MEDLINE(R), Ovid MEDLINE(R) In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE(R) Daily and Ovid OLDMEDLINE(R), Embase Classic and Embase (Ovid), CINAHL Plus (EBSCO), PubMed, and clinical trials registries, and we screened reference lists. We ran a top-up search on 28 November 2019; one study is now awaiting classification. Selection criteria We included all randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared preoperative iron monotherapy to placebo, no treatment, standard care or another form of iron therapy for anaemic adults undergoing surgery. We defined anaemia as haemoglobin values less than 13 g/dL for males and 12 g/dL for non-pregnant females. Data collection and analysis Two review authors collected data and a third review author checked all collected data. Data were collected on the proportion of patients who receive a blood transfusion, the amount of blood transfused per patient (units), quality of life, ferritin levels and haemoglobin levels, measured as continuous variables at the following predetermined time points: pretreatment (baseline), preoperatively but postintervention, and postoperatively. We performed statistical analysis using the Cochrane software, Review Manager 5. We summarised outcome data in tables and forest plots. We used the GRADE approach to describe the quality of the body of evidence. Main results Six RCTs, with a total of 372 participants, evaluated preoperative iron therapy to correct anaemia before planned surgery. Four studies compared iron therapy (either oral (one study) or intravenous (three studies)) with no treatment, placebo or usual care, and two studies compared intravenous iron therapy with oral iron therapy. Iron therapy was delivered over a range of periods that varied from 48 hours to three weeks prior to surgery. The 372 participants in our analysis fall far short of the 819 required - as calculated by our information size calculation - to detect a 30% reduction in blood transfusions. Five trials, involving 310 people, reported the proportion of participants who received allogeneic blood transfusions. Meta-analysis of iron therapy versus placebo or standard care showed no difference in the proportion of participants who received a blood transfusion (risk ratio (RR) 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.87 to 1.70; 4 studies, 200 participants; moderate-quality evidence). Only one study that compared oral versus intravenous iron therapy measured this outcome, and reported no difference in risk of transfusion between groups. There was no difference between the iron therapy and placebo/standard care groups for haemoglobin level preoperatively at the end of the intervention (mean difference (MD) 0.63 g/dL, 95% CI -0.07 to 1.34; 2 studies, 83 participants; low-quality evidence). However, intravenous iron therapy produced an increase in preoperative postintervention haemoglobin levels compared with oral iron (MD 1.23 g/dL, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.65; 2 studies, 172 participants; low-quality evidence). Ferritin levels were increased by intravenous iron, both when compared to standard care ((MD 149.00, 95% CI 25.84 to 272.16; 1 study, 63 participants; low-quality evidence) or to oral iron (MD 395.03 ng/mL, 95% CI 227.72 to 562.35; 2 studies, 151 participants; low-quality evidence). Not all studies measured quality of life, short-term mortality or postoperative morbidity. Some measured the outcomes, but did not report the data, and the studies which did report the data were underpowered. Therefore, uncertainty remains regarding these outcomes. The inclusion of new research in the future is very likely to change these results. Authors' conclusions The use of iron therapy for preoperative anaemia does not show a clinically significant reduction in the proportion of trial participants who received an allogeneic blood transfusion compared to no iron therapy. Results for intravenous iron are consistent with a greater increase in haemoglobin and ferritin when compared to oral iron, but do not provide reliable evidence. These conclusions are drawn from six studies, three of which included very small numbers of participants. Further, well-designed, adequately powered, RCTs are required to determine the true effectiveness of iron therapy for preoperative anaemia. Two studies are currently in progress, and will include 1500 randomised participants.

Recurrent appendicitis can occur up to 40 years after appendicectomy. A history of appendicectomy has often led to late diagnosis, as sepsis is attributed to other organs, usually the urinary tract. A case of a patient presenting with retained faecolith and recurrent/stump appendicitis 2 years after laparoscopic appendicectomy is presented. The case for having a low threshold for early CT scanning in patients post-appendicectomy presenting with sepsis to prevent delay in diagnosis is made, and this case is a useful reminder for surgeons to dissect as far as possible to the appendix base. The literature including important medicolegal cases is reviewed.

Key Clinical Message A low threshold for computed tomography (CT) scanning in patients with previous appendicectomy and right iliac fossa pain helps facilitate timely diagnosis and exclusion of other differential diagnoses. Here, we present a rare cause which has significant medicolegal ramifications and is accurately diagnosed with CT.