title: Prevention of internal hernias and pelvic adhesions following laparoscopic left-sided colorectal resection: the role of fibrin sealant.
abstract: Laparoscopy has increasingly become the standard of care for patients who undergo colorectal surgery for both benign and malignant diseases. This growing experience has also resulted in more reports of postoperative complications from the minimally invasive approach to primary colorectal resection. Small bowel obstruction from internal hernias and pre-sacral adhesions is an uncommon but not negligible complication. However, there is little literature specific to this topic with recommendations for different methods to prevent it. We report our original technique of closing the mesenteric defect and covering the pre-sacral fascia by using fibrin sealant to prevent this complication.
  
  
  
  From January 2005 to December 2014, a total of 1079 patients underwent elective laparoscopic left colorectal resection (left hemicolectomy or anterior rectal resection) in our department. In the first 298 procedures, the mesenteric defect was left open, while in the following 781 procedures, it was closed using fibrin sealant with the aim of preventing postoperative small bowel obstruction.
  
  
  
  Among the first 298 patients, three (1%) required reoperation for small bowel obstruction due to internal hernia (0.33%) or critical pre-sacral adhesions (0.66%). These complications did not occur in the subsequent series in which all 781 patients were treated with fibrin sealant prophylactic closure of the mesenteric defect.
  
  
  
  In our experience, fibrin sealant closure of the mesenteric defect has demonstrated to be safe and effective in preventing postoperative small bowel obstruction that remains a complication both in open and in laparoscopic colorectal surgeries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery, ''Azienda Ospedaliera dei Colli'' - Monaldi Hospital, Via Leonardo Bianchi s.n.c, 80131, Naples, NA, Italy. pierluigi.angelini@ospedalideicolli.it.
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6233-0230
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Angelini
authors.affiliation: Department of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery, ''Azienda Ospedaliera dei Colli'' - Monaldi Hospital, Via Leonardo Bianchi s.n.c, 80131, Naples, NA, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sciuto
authors.affiliation: Department of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery, ''Azienda Ospedaliera dei Colli'' - Monaldi Hospital, Via Leonardo Bianchi s.n.c, 80131, Naples, NA, Italy.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cuccurullo
authors.affiliation: Department of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery, ''Azienda Ospedaliera dei Colli'' - Monaldi Hospital, Via Leonardo Bianchi s.n.c, 80131, Naples, NA, Italy.
authors.forename: Felice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pirozzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery, ''Azienda Ospedaliera dei Colli'' - Monaldi Hospital, Via Leonardo Bianchi s.n.c, 80131, Naples, NA, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reggio
authors.affiliation: Department of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery, ''Azienda Ospedaliera dei Colli'' - Monaldi Hospital, Via Leonardo Bianchi s.n.c, 80131, Naples, NA, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Corcione
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003082:Colectomy / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive; D046449:Hernia, Abdominal / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000517:prevention & control; D007558:Italy; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D000267:Tissue Adhesions / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive
keywords: Colorectal surgery; Fibrin sealant; Postoperative complications; Small bowel obstruction