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The effective treatment of anal fistulas almost always requires surgical intervention, which could be accompanied by post-operative complications, and affect the quality of life of patients. This study aimed to cross-culturally adapt the Persian version of the Quality of Life in patients with Anal Fistula questionnaire and evaluate its validity and reliability. Sixty patients with a mean age of 44 years ranging from 21 to 72 years entered the study. Forty-seven participants were men, and thirteen were women. After performing a scientific translation of the questionnaire based on Beaton's guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation and after extensive reviews by experts and specialists, the final version of the questionnaire was obtained. Then, 60 questionnaires (100%) were filled out by the participants (n = 60) and retrieved during a 7 to 21-day period. Data were collected and analyzed. Finally, according to the obtained data, the validity and reliability of the questionnaire were calculated. Cross-cultural adaptation of the translated questionnaire was verified by the expert committee. The results showed perfect internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.842), and external consistency (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.800; P<0.001). Spearman correlation coefficient between test and retest was reported to be 0.980 (P-value <0.01), confirming the temporal stability of the translated questionnaire. The interrater reliability based on Cohen's kappa coefficient also demonstrated a perfect degree of agreement between two peer variables (Kappa = 0.889; P<0.001). The Persian translation of the Quality of Life in patients with the Anal Fistula questionnaire was proven to be valid and reliable for the evaluation of the QoL of patients with anal fistula.

Exosome administration is a novel medical approach that promises excellent immunomodulatory properties without the conventional side effects of current antitumor necrosis factor drugs and stem cells. This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of using mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) exosomes to treat refractory fistulas in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. MSCs were derived from the umbilical cords and their exosomes were isolated. Five patients with refractory perianal Crohn's disease fistulas with a median age of 35 years (range 31-47 years) were enrolled in the study. Exosome injections were administered in the operating room to patients with refractory fistula (fistulas that are irresponsive to anti-tumor necrosis factor-α administration within 6 months). Six months later, a physical examination, face-to-face interviews, and magnetic resonance imaging were employed to evaluate the therapy responses of patients. The outcomes within 6 months after initiation of therapy showed that four patients had responded to therapy. Three patients who received exosome injections exhibited complete healing, while one reported no improvement and active discharge from the fistula site. In addition, five patients (100%) reported neither systemic nor local adverse effects. Injection of exosomes extracted from MSCs demonstrates safety and a satisfactory therapeutic effect, as evidenced in this and other studies, and may play a significant role in the future treatment of gastrointestinal fistulas.

Background and Aims Perianal fistula is a prevalent anorectal condition originating from an infectious crypt extending to the external opening. Multiple surgical methods exist for treating perianal fistulas; however, selecting the appropriate options is still controversial. Our study aims to evaluate seton replacement versus other surgical methods in treating perianal fistula. Methods This study recruited 72 patients presenting with perianal discharge and diagnosed with perianal fistula through intra‐sphincteric, trans‐sphincteric, and supra‐sphincteric examinations at Imam Reza and Besat Hospitals from July 2022 up to March 2023. Regarding case‐control design, patients were divided into two groups: the first group (n = 36) underwent seton insertion, while the control group (n = 36) received alternative surgical methods. Follow‐up was conducted for 1 month post‐discharge, with monthly visits for 6 months. Patients were evaluated for fistula tract healing, seton loosening, and daily secretion rate (based on infected pads) during each visit. Finally, the two groups were compared in terms of improvement rates. Results In the seton group, approximately 94.4% of patients showed improvement. However, the difference between the groups was insignificant (p = 0.494). Seton replacement was performed in 52% of patients, with the majority requiring replacement twice (61%). Improvement rates were highest among cases with two seton replacements, although the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.073). Following seton replacement, the most common treatment methods were endoanal flap and fistulotomy, with observed improvement in 10 cases for each procedure. Conclusion This study highlights that draining seton remains a primary choice for intermediate treatment due to its satisfactory improvement rate and lower requirement for replacement, especially up to two times.

Low anterior resection (LAR) for rectal cancer affects bowel function after the operation, causing a group of symptoms known as LAR Syndrome (LARS). LARS score is a patient-reported questionnaire to assess bowel dysfunction after the LAR operation. This study performed to validate the Persian (Farsi) translation of the LARS score and to investigate the psychometric properties of the score. The impact of LARS on the Quality of Life (QoL) of patients was also assessed. The LARS score was translated into Persian. Participants with a history of rectal cancer and low anterior resection were asked to complete the LARS score questionnaire. They were also asked a single question evaluating the impact of bowel function on QoL. Discriminative validity, convergent validity, sensitivity, and specificity of the questionnaire were calculated. A group of patients completed the score twice to assess the reliability of the questionnaire. From 358 patients with rectal cancer, 101 participants completed the Persian questionnaire. Answers of a high fraction of participants showed a moderate/perfect fit between their LARS score and their QoL. The Persian score demonstrated good convergent validity. It was able to differentiate between participants in terms of gender and T staging of the primary tumor. The score had high reliability. The Persian translation of the LARS score has excellent psychometric properties compared to previous translations in other languages. Therefore, it is a valid and reliable questionnaire to assess LARS.

Background Anastomotic leakage remains a serious concern in rectal cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) followed by low anterior resection (LAR). To mitigate this risk, protective‌ ileostomy (PI) is often employed; ‌‌however, it carries its own complications and patient burden. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and clinical outcomes of ghost ileostomy (GI) as a potential alternative, aiming to reduce unnecessary stoma creation, related morbidity, readmission rates, and patient discomfort. Methods In this randomized, non‐inferiority feasibility trial, patients with rectal cancer who had received nCRT and were scheduled for LAR were enrolled. Feasibility outcomes included recruitment rate, retention, intervention adherence, procedural fidelity, and safety. Safety outcomes compared GI and PI regarding anastomotic leakage and failure, bowel obstruction, acute tubular necrosis (ATN), and readmissions due to complications (primary endpoint). Results Eighty patients were randomized from 87 eligible participants, with a recruitment rate of 5.71 patients per site‐month. GI was non‐inferior to PI regarding overall complications and readmissions (one‐tailed 90% CI; power > 80%) and also for obstruction and ATN (one‐tailed 95% CI; power > 80%). However, the PI group had a significantly shorter initial hospital stay than the GI group (p = 0.042). Conclusion This trial supports the feasibility of a definitive future study. GI may serve as a safe and effective alternative to PI in selected low‐risk rectal cancer patients undergoing nCRT and LAR. Larger, multicenter trials are needed to validate these findings and further explore the clinical utility of GI.

Purpose: Bleeding is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the trauma and surgery field, using effective hemostatic agents can help us reduce bleeding especially in parenchymal hemorrhage. Nowadays polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is known as a safe candidate for wound dressing and maybe a hemostatic agent. PVA-based hydrogel is a popular biocompatible material in the biomedical field especially when it has high water absorption. In this study, we investigated the PVA hydrogel’s mechanical and biological properties as well as its hemostatic potential in parenchymal bleeding. Methods: PVA hydrogel had made by the freeze-thawing approach, we used PVA hydrogel in comparison to standard treatment to investigate hemostatic potency. Also, we performed MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide) tests to survey PVA cellular toxicity. After an acute liver injury, two groups of 12 rats were treated with PVA hydrogel or standard treatment with sterile gauze. The results including the time and volume of bleeding, and the time and survival rate of the rats were measured and compared. Results: We saw that PVA hydrogel was safe with no cellular toxicity in the MTT assay. Regarding efficacy, PVA hydrogel increased rats’ survival after bleeding from 75% to 91.7%, and decreased bleeding time (p: 0.015), and bleeding volume (p: 0.03) compared to the control group. Conclusion: Polyvinyl alcohol is safe. It has good biological properties with no cellular toxicity and has a significant hemostatic effect and can be regarded in control of parenchymal hemorrhage.

Background and Aims Anal fistula (AF) with cryptoglandular origin tends to recur, and multiple risk factors are implicated. Recently, some magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings with predictive value for disease outcomes have been proposed. These intrinsic anatomic features include those of the AF and its surrounding structures. This study aims to clarify the prognostic role of MRI in AF. Methods We performed a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and EBSCO databases. Two independent reviewers conducted the search and screened the articles. We selected studies that used MRI to assess AF and reported its relationship to disease outcome. We extracted data regarding the study design, type of intervention, outcome, MRI‐measured items, and their significance. Results Out of 1230 retrieved articles, 18 were eligible for final inclusion, and a total of 4026 patients were enrolled in the selected studies. For preoperative MRI, the significant items affecting the outcome were the length of the fistula, horseshoe type, presence of multiple tracts, supralevator extension, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value. Other studies investigated the healing process using postoperative MRI. Conclusion This review found that MRI can be useful in the management of AF, both preoperatively and postoperatively. Factors, such as fistula length, horseshoe type, presence of multiple tracts, supralevator extension, and ADC value were found to be significantly associated with treatment outcomes. The presence of the fistula tract and the development of new abscesses on postoperative MRI was found to hinder the healing process. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Background and Aims The Hemorrhoidal Disease Symptom Score (HDSS) is a tool that is scored based on five main symptoms: pain, bleeding, itching, soiling, and prolapse. Furthermore, the Short Health Scale (SHS) is a measurement tool of subjective health and health‐related quality of life. This study was performed to validate the Farsi‐translated Hemorrhoidal Disease Symptom Score (HDSS), and Scale Short Health Scale adapted for hemorrhoidal disease (SHS‐HD) as a measure of symptom severity in patients with hemorrhoid disease. Methods In this study, HDSS and SHS‐HD were translated into Farsi. Participants with confirmed hemorrhoid disease completed the questionnaire. Subsequently, the questionnaire's discriminative validity, convergent validity, reliability, sensitivity, and specificity were evaluated. Results Data from 31 patients were analyzed (mean age 39.68; 71% male). The results of the analysis showed good internal consistency as Cronbach's α for HDSS and SHS were 0.994 and 0.995 respectively. Spearman's correlation coefficient for the test–retest comparison was 0.986 (p < 0.01). The responses demonstrated good convergent validity. Moreover, the comprehension and suitability of each question were rated as excellent (Pearson's correlation coefficient = 0.3). Conclusions Our findings revealed that the Farsi translation of the HDSS and SHS‐HD can be a valuable tool for evaluating the symptom severity in patients with hemorrhoid disease.

Laparoscopic implantation of peritoneal dialysis catheters has many advantages over conventional methods. The ability to perform laparoscopy with the patient under local anesthesia allows renal failure patients, who ordinarily might not be considered candidates for general anesthesia, an opportunity to undergo this procedure. Using local anesthesia and nitrous oxide pneumoperitoneum, 175 catheters were implanted in long musculofascial tunnels under laparoscopic guidance to minimize the risk of catheter migration and flow dysfunction. Nitrous oxide pneumoperitoneum was well tolerated, allowing all procedures to be safely completed with the patients under local anesthesia. The overall 1- and 2-year catheter survival rates were 92.7% and 91.3%, respectively. The incidence of catheter tip migration and omental entrapment was 1.7% and 2.9%, respectively. Temporary pericatheter leak occurred in 7.4% of cases. Nitrous oxide insufflation enables safe performance of laparoscopic surgery with the patient under local anesthesia. Patients benefit from a minimally invasive technique with the assurance of obtaining successful long-term catheter function.

The effective treatment of anal fistulas almost always requires surgical intervention, which could be accompanied by post-operative complications, and affect the quality of life of patients. This study aimed to cross-culturally adapt the Persian version of the Quality of Life in patients with Anal Fistula questionnaire and evaluate its validity and reliability. Sixty patients with a mean age of 44 years ranging from 21 to 72 years entered the study. Forty-seven participants were men, and thirteen were women. After performing a scientific translation of the questionnaire based on Beaton's guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation and after extensive reviews by experts and specialists, the final version of the questionnaire was obtained. Then, 60 questionnaires (100%) were filled out by the participants (n = 60) and retrieved during a 7 to 21-day period. Data were collected and analyzed. Finally, according to the obtained data, the validity and reliability of the questionnaire were calculated. Cross-cultural adaptation of the translated questionnaire was verified by the expert committee. The results showed perfect internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.842), and external consistency (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.800; P<0.001). Spearman correlation coefficient between test and retest was reported to be 0.980 (P-value <0.01), confirming the temporal stability of the translated questionnaire. The interrater reliability based on Cohen's kappa coefficient also demonstrated a perfect degree of agreement between two peer variables (Kappa = 0.889; P<0.001). The Persian translation of the Quality of Life in patients with the Anal Fistula questionnaire was proven to be valid and reliable for the evaluation of the QoL of patients with anal fistula.