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Cortical blindness is characterized by unilateral or bilateral vision loss despite an intact pupillary reflex, full extraocular movements, and normal fundoscopic examination. Common causes include stroke, cardiac emboli, head trauma or rarely, a hypoxic-ischemic event which results to decreased perfusion to the occipital lobes supplied by the posterior cerebral artery. Imaging with computed tomography is usually diagnostic documenting stroke or embolization as well as ensuring an intact cerebral circulation. Prognosis largely depends on the etiology as most reports document an irreversible condition or at least the patient is left with some residual visual symptoms. We present a case of a 25-year-old male who underwent brachial artery repair with reverse saphenous vein graft interposition after sustaining a right upper arm laceration associated with massive hemorrhage and shock due to delayed consult. He presented with profound bilateral loss of vision 12 h after surgery characterized as right homonymous hemianopsia. Computed tomography of the brain demonstrated ischemic infarcts in the occipital lobes. Close observation was instituted, and his symptom resolved spontaneously within a week. This case highlights the importance of considering atypical causes of perioperative vision loss as early recognition and timely diagnosis are essential to improve patient outcomes. To our knowledge, this is the first report of transient cortical blindness after peripheral vascular trauma., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate surgical outcomes (i.e. length of stay [LOS], 30-day morbidity, mortality, reoperation, and readmission rates) with the use of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathway, and determine its association with the rate of compliance to the different ERAS components., Methods: This was a prospective cohort of patients, who underwent the following elective procedures: stoma reversal (SR), colon resection (CR), and rectal resection (RR). The primary endpoint was to determine the association of compliance to an ERAS pathway and surgical outcomes. These were then retrospectively compared to outcomes prior to the implementation of ERAS., Results: A total of 267 patients were included in the study. The overall compliance to the ERAS component was 92.0% (SR, 91.8%; CR, 93.1%; RR, 90.7%). There was an associated decrease in morbidity rates across all types of surgery, as compliance to ERAS increased. The average total LOS decreased in all groups but was only found to have statistical significance in SR (12.1±6.7 days vs. 10.0±5.4 days, P=0.002) and RR (19.9±11.4 days vs. 16.9±10.5 days, P=0.04) groups. Decreased postoperative LOS was noted in all groups. Morbidity rates were significantly higher after ERAS implementation, but reoperation and mortality rates were found to be similar., Conclusion: Increased compliance to ERAS protocol is associated with a decrease in morbidity across all surgery types. The implementation of an ERAS protocol significantly decreased mean hospital LOS, without any increase in major surgical complications. Having your own hospital ERAS pathway improves documentation and accuracy of reporting surgical complications.

Malnutrition among colorectal cancer patients can impair quality of life and decrease survival. This study evaluated the nutritional status of colorectal cancer patients and its association with quality of life among Filipino colorectal cancer patients seen in a tertiary hospital. A cross-sectional study was conducted among colorectal cancer patients seen at the Philippine General Hospital between December 1, 2019 and February 28, 2020. Nutritional status was evaluated using the Subjective Global Assessment, while quality of life was assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and logistic regression were employed for analysis. Among 292 patients, malnutrition was noted in 76.4%. Stage III cancer had a higher odds for malnutrition (OR (odds ratio) = 6.22, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.59, 24.42). Patients who received or were currently receiving chemotherapy were less likely to develop malnutrition (OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.18-0.69). Global health status and all functional subscale scores for the severely malnourished group were lower while the scores for symptom scales increased with the degree of malnutrition. There was a high prevalence of malnutrition among colorectal cancer patients and this was associated with poor quality of life. Future directions emphasizing early nutritional screening and assessment are recommended.

Historically, T4 tumors of the colon have been a contraindication to minimally invasive resection. The purpose of this study was to conduct a National Cancer Database analysis to compare the outcomes after curative treatment for T4 colon cancer between robotic, laparoscopic, and open approaches. The US National Cancer Database was queried for patients with T4 adenocarcinoma of the colon who underwent curative resection. Groups were separated based on approach (open, laparoscopic, robotic). One to one nearest neighbor propensity score matching (PSM) ± 1% caliper was performed across surgical approach cohorts to balance potential confounding covariates. Kaplan-Meier estimation and Cox-proportional hazards regression were used to analyze primary outcome of survival. Secondary outcomes were analyzed by way of logistic regression. Inclusion criteria and PSM identified 876 cases per treatment approach (n = 2628). PSM provided adequate discrimination between treatment cohorts (0.6 < AUC < 0.8) and potential confounding covariates did not significantly differ between cohorts (all respective P > 0.05). Patients who underwent a robotic approach had lower odds of conversion to laparotomy compared to the laparoscopic cohort (P < 0.0001). Laparoscopic and robotic approaches were associated with increased odds of > 12 lymph nodes examined, decreased odds of positive margins, and decreased odds of 30-day readmission, 30-day mortality, and 90-day mortality compared to the open approach. Cox-proportional hazards regression showed that both robotic and laparoscopic approaches were significantly associated with decreased mortality hazards relative to open. Both laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgeries achieved improved oncologic outcomes and survival compared to open resection of T4 cancers. A robotic-assisted approach was significantly associated with a lower conversion rate compared to the laparoscopic approach. This case-matched study demonstrates safety of using minimally invasive techniques in T4 cancers., (© 2020. Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Data regarding the effect of conversion from minimally invasive surgery (MIS) to laparotomy in rectal cancer is limited. This study examines the impact of conversion from laparoscopic or robotic-assisted techniques to open resection on oncologic outcomes in a large population database., Methods: The National Cancer Database from 2010 to 2016 was reviewed for all cases of invasive adenocarcinoma of the rectum or rectosigmoid junction managed surgically. Patients were divided into 3 cohorts by approach: laparoscopic/robotic (MIS), converted proctectomy (CP), and open proctectomy (OP). Kaplan-Meier estimation was used for unadjusted survival analysis, followed by adjusted multivariable Cox-Proportional Hazards regression. Secondary outcomes were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression., Results: The inclusion criteria identified 57 574 patients cases of adenocarcinoma of the rectum managed surgically. Of these patients, 23 579 (41.0%) underwent MIS, 3591 (6.2%) CP, and 30 404 (52.8%) OP. Five-year overall survival was greater in the MIS (70.4%) versus CP and OP (64.4% and 61.4%). No differences were detected for positive margins, 30-day, or 90-day mortality between CP and OP. MIS and CP approaches were significantly associated with increased odds of 12 or more regional lymph nodes examined and decreased overall mortality hazard compared with OP (all respective significant P < .05)., Discussion: While similar odds of positive margins and short-term mortality is seen in patients whose procedure converts to laparotomy compared with planned laparotomy, both short-term and long-term oncologic benefit is seen in those who undergo a minimally invasive approach. Thus, a minimally invasive approach should be attempted for patients with rectal cancer.

Purpose: Cancer treatment causes significant financial burden, especially in developing countries such as the Philippines. This led the Philippine Department of Health to create the Z-Package colorectal cancer benefit program, an insurance system specifically designed to treat Filipinos with colorectal cancers with early to locally advanced-stage disease. The main goal of this program is to optimize treatment outcomes for this curable disease without causing financial toxicity., Materials and Methods: Three-year data on patients enrolled in the Z-Package colorectal cancer benefit program from 2016 to 2018 were reviewed by the University of the Philippines, Philippine General Hospital Colorectal Polyp and Cancer Study Group., Results: A total of 251 patients were enrolled in the Z-package colorectal cancer benefit program from 2016 to 2018. Mean age was 57 years old and a majority of patients (66%) were male. A majority of patients had rectal cancer (78%) and were diagnosed with stage III disease (82%). A majority (75%) were compliant to their treatment plans and clinic follow-up. Specifically, compliance to the prescribed surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation treatment were 90%, 77%, and 96%, respectively. Recurrence, morbidity, and mortality rates of enrolled patients in the Z-Package program from 2016 to 2018 were 17%, 22%, and 19%, respectively. Morbidities were mostly chemotherapy related (8%). Finally, patients in this program had a 2- and 3-year survival probability of 74% and 70%, respectively, which are comparable with data from more developed nations., Conclusion: Results of this study include real-world data that show that when the highest standards of patient care are provided through a multidisciplinary team, patients' overall survival is also maximized.