Subtotal colectomy with antiperistaltic cecosigmoidal anastomosis may be another suitable option for slow transit constipation: Experiences from Chinese people

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate, considering the experiences from Chinese people, if slow transit constipation (STC) can be accurately diagnosed, choosing patients qualifying for surgery, subtotal colectomy with antiperistaltic cecosigmoidal anastomosis (STC-Anti-CSA) may come with more acceptable short and long-term outcomes. A retrospective study was performed at a department of colorectal and anal surgery. A cohort of 29 patients were coming with up to 5 years’ follow-up care, who were in a diverse range of age, BMI, laxative medicine histories, including both males and females. Pre-surgery work-up strictly followed a protocol designed to rule out the patients who were not suitable for surgery treatments. Classification of STC was followed after diagnosis. STC-Anti-CSA was performed in all cases. The operative time, blood loss, average post-operative length of stay (LOS), frequency of BMs, stool consistency and patients satisfaction, by using Wexner constipation score (WCS), numerical rating scale (NRS), and abdominal bloating score (ABS), over the study period were recorded. In this study, there were 14 males and 15 females, with mean age 51, and BMI from 20.14 to 31.62 kg/m(2). The period of laxative medicine history was 4.8 years (2–13 years). The mean operative time was 152 ± 34 min, and the mean perioperative blood loss was 123 ± 51 mL. Average post-operative LOS (LOS) was 8 days. There were no severe post-operative complications, peri-operative mortality, anastomotic leaks, or revisions of the original surgery. Initial post-operative BMs averaged 6 times/day. During the period of 1 month to 12 months follow-up care, BMs fell down to 2 or 3 times/day. By the 1st to 3rd year follow-up care, BMs averaged 5 to 7 times/week. However, from the 4th year to 5th year, constipations recurred somehow. However, most patients were satisfied with their bowel patterns. STC-Anti-CSA can receive acceptable postoperative outcomes as long as the patients can be accurately diagnosed and classified as severe STC. Among the surgical procedures for STC, this procedure may be another suitable option, especially for Chinese people.