Reintervention in abdominal surgery. Personal experience in emergency

Abstract

The Authors, regarding their emergency surgical experience, examine the need of reintervention in abdominal surgery at a distance (operations carried out not less than 30 days after previous procedure), a controversial situation, usually dealt with empirical approach.

Such a feature is not rare in the experience of a surgeon; nevertheless still few are the studies concerning the severity of the disease and related complications requiring surgery.

Occasionally it is really difficult – quite impossible- in these often complex clinical conditions, to identify the aetiology and even to perform a pre-operative diagnosis. Sometimes other factors may inhibit an exhaustive evaluation (acute onset of the symptoms, time spent from the former procedure, choice of the patient to refer to another surgeon) thus conditioning an adequate review of the first surgical act.

The Authors study the more frequently observed clinical feaures, post-surgical abdominal adhesive syndrome, cancer recurrence, incisional hernia.

Former surgical diseases and the latter one may be the same, but not necessarily. Surgery is only a feature of the treatment (multimodal treatment) in case of neoplastic recurrence. Morbidity and mortality concerning the latter surgical procedure are higher than the mere sum of those related to both the former and last operation performed (pre-operative disease understaging).

Finally it must be stressed the need for early and accurate diagnosis to clearly steer the choice and course of surgical action.