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Background: Recent studies have associated total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) with better treatment adherence, decreased toxicity, improved complete clinical response and anal sphincter preservation rates in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). However, real-world experience with TNT in the management of LARC remains limited. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety outcomes of TNT for LARC in Western Australia. Methods: Patients with LARC (cT2-4 and/or cN1-2) who underwent induction chemotherapy followed by neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy or neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by consolidation chemotherapy, followed by surgery were recruited from two hospitals in Western Australia. Efficacy outcomes assessed included clinical response (complete, partial, no response), and pathologic complete response (pCR) rate, R0 resection rate, and R1 resection rate were evaluated. Those patients who achieved clinical complete response following TNT were given the option of active surveillance. The safety and tolerability of TNT were assessed. Results: 32 patients with LARC were treated with TNT. In total, 17 patients (53%) received chemoradiotherapy followed by consolidation chemotherapy and 15 patients (47%) received induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiotherapy. Nine (28%) of the patients with LARC treated with TNT had a complete clinical response, twenty-one (66%) patients had a partial clinical response, and two (6%) patients had no response to TNT. Of the 32 patients, 27 (84%) underwent surgery. There was a 100% R0 resection rate. The pCR rate was 15%. pCR, clinical response, and the R0 resection rate were similar between the two TNT regimens. TNT was well tolerated, with the majority of patients (88%) completing the chemotherapy course with grade 1 and 2 adverse effects. Conclusions: In conclusion, TNT emerges as a promising approach for the management of LARC. However, further research is warranted to refine the optimal TNT protocols, determine its long-term outcomes, and identify patient populations who would benefit the most from this innovative therapeutic strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Virtual reality (VR) enhanced radiology could help improve communication with colorectal cancer patients and therefore increase understanding in the perioperative setting. The objective of this pilot trial is to assess the feasibility of conducting a randomized control trial in terms of recruitment, use and acceptability of the VR technology and validity of data collection methods. Methods: A prospective, single‐centre randomized control trial was conducted at St John of God Midland Hospital in Western Australia from November to December 2021. After standard informed consent with their surgeon, elective patients planned for resection of colorectal cancer were randomized to either 'standard consent' (shown computed tomography (CT) images only) or 'VR consent' (shown CT images and immersive VR models). Results: Nine patients were recruited (four control; five intervention). There was a trend towards improved patient reported understanding without reaching statistical significance. Most patients preferred the use of VR as compared to CT as an educational tool during the consent process (P = 0.03). There were no adverse effects. Conclusion: VR was well tolerated and patients enjoyed using the technology. Its use in an outpatient clinic setting for elective colorectal cancer surgery is feasible. Improvement in patient understanding using VR compared to standard consent processes in colorectal surgery should be tested in a statistically powered, high quality study design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on Mary Theophilus, a general and colorectal surgeon, and her motivations for joining the Australian Medical Association Council. Topics include her journey to becoming a surgeon inspired by innovative medical techniques, her commitment to improving healthcare access and conditions for patients and colleagues, and the importance of mentorship and communication skills in the surgical field.

Background: The closure of ileostomy is associated with significant morbidity, the most common being surgical site infection (SSI), ranging up to 41%. This study compared the stoma site SSI rates after either the conventional‐linear closure (CLC) or purse‐string closure (PSC). Methods: The study conducted a single‐centre retrospective cohort study of elective loop‐ileostomy closures from June 2015 to January 2021. Patient demographics, surgical techniques and outcomes, including SSI rates, were analysed using SPSS ver.27. Results: Hundred and six patients underwent loop‐ileostomy closure, 91.5% (n = 97) had CLC of which 67% (n = 65) were stapled. Male patients comprise 67.9%, with a median age of 62. The median BMI was 27. The median surgical time, LOS and interval time to closure were 66 min, 4.5 days and 5.5 months, respectively. The SSI rate was 19.6% (n = 19) for CLC and 11.1% (n = 1) for PSC. The SSI rate was significantly reduced to 3.7% (P < 0.001) in CLC when the site was washed with betadine. Multivariate logistic regression controlled for statistically insignificant confounders showed that stoma site betadine wash was significantly and independently associated with reduced SSI risk (P = 0.026). Other significant factors which reduced SSI risk were prophylactic antibiotic therapy (P = 0.004), operative time < 60 min (P = 0.021), and having the closure done >3 months post the formation surgery (P = 0.040). Conclusions: This study found that stoma SSI risk was independently and significantly reduced when CLC stapled site was washed with betadine. This low‐cost intervention that significantly reduced skin closure site SSI rates is readily available and can easily be adopted into clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is a 24-item multidisciplinary questionnaire program designed to optimize the patient's perioperative care to reduce postoperative morbidity. However, its adoption remains largely influenced by region and the institution and surgeons' personal judgement. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the practice of ERAS in elective colorectal surgery in Western Australia through a survey. Design: Prospective survey. Setting: The survey was sent to all surgeons identified to be performing routine elective colorectal surgery in Western Australia. Patients and Methods: A questionnaire was designed based on the latest ERAS guidelines, consisting of questions on the demographics of the surgeons, annual number of major colorectal resections, and on various aspects of pre-, intra- and postoperative practices. The questionnaire was sent through email or handed to the surgeons in August 2020 for a period of 2 months. Sample Size: Twenty-four eligible surgeons participated in the survey. Main Outcome Measures: The main outcome was to investigate the areas of agreement and difference in ERAS practice in elective colorectal surgery in Western Australia. Results: Twenty of the 24 eligible surgeons (83.3%) completed the questionnaire. Among these, 65% surgeons perform >50 major colorectal resections annually. There is a high agreement of the practice in certain areas: 70% surgeons perform >50% of their cases laparoscopically; they do not routinely use nasogastric tubes, majority of the surgeons do not routinely place drains after right (95%) and left (70%) colonic surgeries, 75% surgeons are guided by the Acute Pain Service for postoperative analgesia, and 95% surgeons encourage early mobilization. A few areas of practice remain widely variable: preoperative mechanical bowel preparation, postoperative fluids and electrolytes, and assessment of gut function. Conclusion: This survey provides a snapshot of the practice of ERAS in elective colorectal surgery in Western Australia. While certain aspects are considered as universal practice, there are some gaps and barriers to implementation that need to explored further. Limitations: The survey did not classify questions into open or laparoscopic surgery, and some surgeons worked both in public and private institutions, where practices may differ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Colorectal cancer is one of the most common internal malignancies affecting Australians, and colonoscopy is widely accepted as a part of comprehensive large bowel assessment. Different specialties perform colonoscopies, most commonly general surgeons and gastroenterologists. Analysing performance outcomes against benchmarks allows insight into inter-specialty differences and enables the improvement of overall service provision and quality. Methods We performed a retrospective single-centre cohort study on 2086 patients undergoing colonoscopies by seven surgeons (S) and nine gastroenterologists (G) between July 2021 and June 2023. Primary outcomes were comparative caecal intubation rates (CIR), photo documentation rates (PDR), documented withdrawal rates (DWR), withdrawal times (WT), and adenoma detection rates (ADR). Secondary outcomes characterised adenoma frequency, optimal WT, and indications for colonoscopies. Results We found significant differences in CIR (S: 94.9%, 990/1043; G: 99%, 1033/1043, P<0.01), PDR (S: 95.9%, 949/990; G: 99.1%, 1024/1033, P<0.01), DWR (S: 17.4%, 181/1043; G: 87.3%, 911/1043, P<0.01), WT >6 minutes (S: 82.3%, 149/181; G: 97.8%, 891/911, P<0.01), and ADR (S: 37.9%, 193/509; G: 59.7%, 421/705, P<0.01). Subgroup analysis revealed adenoma frequency peaked at 50-70 years old and optimal WT was ≥9 minutes. We demonstrated surgeons mainly perform colonoscopies for diverticulitis surveillance, abnormal imaging, post-cancer resections, and rectal bleeding, but gastroenterologists predominantly investigate bowel symptoms, polyp surveillance, positive faecal occult blood test, and anaemia. Conclusion Despite both specialties surpassing national standards in CIR and ADR, there were significant differences in performance indicators. We believe ADR differences could be explained by different indications specialties perform colonoscopies for. Increasing WT ≥9 minutes could improve ADR, and education on the usage of withdrawal timer on endoscopes will improve DWR., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. St. John of God Health Care Human Research Ethics Committee issued approval 2080. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Tan et al.)

Background and Aim: Severe ulcerative colitis (UC) is potentially life threatening and is associated with significant morbidity. TNF-∝ inhibitors (Infliximab) were introduced in Australia for the management of medically resistant, acute, severe flares of UC in 2008. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of Infliximab in preventing emergent and emergency colectomies for patients with moderate to severe UC by comparing colectomy rates before and after its introduction at our institution., Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of all patients who were admitted to the Royal Perth Hospital with a flare of UC between 2002 and 2017. Patients were divided into two cohorts: those admitted prior to the introduction of Infliximab (pre-2008) and those admitted after. We compared data between these two groups, including age, gender, length of admission, use of Infliximab, colectomy, and complications of surgery. We defined emergency surgery as requiring surgery during the index admission and emergent surgery as an operation within 54 weeks., Results: A total of 313 UC cases from 2002 to 2017 were analyzed. There was a decrease in emergency and emergent colectomies from 19.4 to 8% in the post-2008 cohort ( P = 0.008). Furthermore, there was a decrease in the proportion of operations performed as emergencies, from 36 to 20%. This resulted in a significantly reduced length of stay (13.4-9.7 days, P < 0.05) and complication rate (36 to 20%, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Overall, the need for emergency and emergent operations has drastically reduced at our institution with the introduction of Infliximab. This study has confirmed the efficacy of Infliximab in reducing colectomy rates at our institution., (© 2019 The Authors. JGH Open: An open access journal of gastroenterology and hepatology published by Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)