Carlo Ratto

• Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

To evaluate the clinical performance and safety of the ONIRY system for obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASI) detection versus three-dimensional endoanal ultrasound (EAUS). A prospective, comparative, multicentre, international study. Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, and Spain. 152 women between the first moments up to 8 weeks after vaginal delivery....

BACKGROUND Ventral rectopexy has become increasingly utilized in the surgical management of rectal prolapse. There is a need for a contemporary evaluation of the role of the procedure and description of its use in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE To create an international consensus on ventral rectopexy. DESIGN An expert panel undertook a scoping rev...

Purpose//objectives A disproportionate incidence‘s increase of rectal cancer in patients younger than 50 years of age. The ESMO and NCCN recommendations are not age-specific and the literature is poor and conflicting. We decided to examine patients with rectal cancer treated in our centre in the last 15 years with curative neoadjuvant radiochemothe...

Objective: To evaluate the clinical performance of digital rectal examination (DRE) and machine learning-assisted impedance spectroscopy (ONIRY) for detecting obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASI) compared to three-dimensional endoanal ultrasound (EAUS). Design: A post-hoc analysis of data from a prospective, comparative, multicentre, internatio...

Background: The aim of this study was to assess whether the frequency and presentation modality of hemorrhoidal prolapse may have an impact on patients’ quality of life, leading to a different categorization of patients. Methods: A consecutive series of patients affected by primary hemorrhoidal disease were administered specific questionnaires to a...

Patient selection is extremely important in obstructed defecation syndrome (ODS) and rectal prolapse (RP) surgery. This study assessed factors that guided the indications for ODS and RP surgery and their specific role in our decision-making process using a machine learning approach. This is a retrospective analysis of a long-term prospective observ...

Objective: To evaluate the clinical performance and safety of the ONIRY system for obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASI) detection versus three-dimensional endoanal ultrasound (EAUS). Design: A prospective, comparative, multicentre, international study. Setting: Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, and Spain. Population: 152 women between the first moment...

BACKGROUND Narrative operative reports may frequently omit or obscure data from an operation. OBJECTIVE We aim to develop a synoptic operative report for rectal prolapse that includes core descriptors as developed by an international consensus of expert pelvic floor surgeons. DESIGN Descriptors for patients undergoing rectal prolapse surgery were...

BACKGROUND Surgical treatment of recurrent rectal prolapse is associated with unique technical challenges, partly determined by the surgical approach utilized for the index operation. Success rates are variable and data to determine the best approach in patients with recurring prolapse are lacking. OBJECTIVE To assess current surgical approaches t...

Background SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2...

BACKGROUND: The CovidSurg-Cancer Consortium aimed to explore the impact of COVID-19 in surgical patients and services for solid cancers at the start of the pandemic. The CovidSurg-Gynecologic Oncology Cancer subgroup was particularly concerned about the magnitude of adverse outcomes caused by the disrupted surgical gynecologic cancer care during th...

Background: Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods: This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published i...

Background Robotic surgery has gained popularity for the reconstruction of pelvic floor defects. Nonetheless, there is no evidence that robot-assisted reconstructive surgery is either appropriate or superior to standard laparoscopy for the performance of pelvic floor reconstructive procedures or that it is sustainable. The aim of this project was t...

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare aggressive tumour of the mesothelium with a propensity to spread locally and, rarely, to distant organs. The latest advances in its diagnosis and treatment have led to an increase in unusual disease presentations. Although a direct invasion of the perineum has been previously described in a men, a malignant mesothel...

Background Robot-assisted ventral mesh rectopexy is considered a valid option in the treatment of rectal prolapse. However, it involves higher costs than the laparoscopic approach. The aim of this study is to determine if less expensive robotic surgery for rectal prolapse can be safely performed. Methods This study was conducted on consecutive pat...

Traditional fistulotomy is the most performed surgical procedure in anal fistula surgery. We conducted an international online survey to explore colorectal surgeons’ opinions and preferences on fistulotomy. Considering the healing and continence impairment rates reported in the literature, surgeons were invited to answer as a hypothetic patient sus...

Avoiding the extensive damage of pelvic structures during ventral rectopexy could minimize secondary disfunctions. The objective of our observational study is to assess the safety and functional efficacy of a modified ventral rectopexy. In the modified ventral rectopexy, a retroperitoneal tunnel was created along the right side of rectum, connectin...

Background The 2015 Lancet Commission on global surgery identified surgery and anaesthesia as indispensable parts of holistic health-care systems. However, COVID-19 exposed the fragility of planned surgical services around the world, which have also been neglected in pandemic recovery planning. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel index...

Background The 2015 Lancet Commission on global surgery identified surgery and anaesthesia as indispensable parts of holistic health-care systems. However, COVID-19 exposed the fragility of planned surgical services around the world, which have also been neglected in pandemic recovery planning. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel index...

Background The 2015 Lancet Commission on global surgery identified surgery and anaesthesia as indispensable parts of holistic health-care systems. However, COVID-19 exposed the fragility of planned surgical services around the world, which have also been neglected in pandemic recovery planning. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel index...

Background The 2015 Lancet Commission on global surgery identified surgery and anaesthesia as indispensable parts of holistic health-care systems. However, COVID-19 exposed the fragility of planned surgical services around the world, which have also been neglected in pandemic recovery planning. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel index...

Background The 2015 Lancet Commission on global surgery identified surgery and anaesthesia as indispensable parts of holistic health-care systems. However, COVID-19 exposed the fragility of planned surgical services around the world, which have also been neglected in pandemic recovery planning. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel index...

Background The 2015 Lancet Commission on global surgery identified surgery and anaesthesia as indispensable parts of holistic health-care systems. However, COVID-19 exposed the fragility of planned surgical services around the world, which have also been neglected in pandemic recovery planning. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel index...

Background The 2015 Lancet Commission on global surgery identified surgery and anaesthesia as indispensable parts of holistic health-care systems. However, COVID-19 exposed the fragility of planned surgical services around the world, which have also been neglected in pandemic recovery planning. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel index...

Background Patients with Crohn's disease can develop anal and perianal lesions, such as fistulas, ulcers, skin tags, perianal abscesses and strictures. Perianal Crohn's disease (PCD) is a condition that has a major impact on patients' quality of life. The multidisciplinary team includes a nurse who manages the patient according to evidence-based me...

Background The 2015 Lancet Commission on global surgery identified surgery and anaesthesia as indispensable parts of holistic health-care systems. However, COVID-19 exposed the fragility of planned surgical services around the world, which have also been neglected in pandemic recovery planning. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel index...

Background The 2015 Lancet Commission on global surgery identified surgery and anaesthesia as indispensable parts of holistic health-care systems. However, COVID-19 exposed the fragility of planned surgical services around the world, which have also been neglected in pandemic recovery planning. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel index...

The role of injectable biomaterials in the treatment of fecal incontinence remains to be established. Although they may be of some value in the treatment of passive incontinence, the optimum injectable bulking agent and technique of application remain to be determined. Migration and degradation of the injected agents represent the main causes of fa...

Machine learning risk prediction of mortality for patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2: the COVIDSurg mortality score

The Emborrhoid is an innovative non-surgical technique for the treatment of severe hemorrhoidal bleeding. Patient selection and the impact on quality of life have not been fully investigated. This prospective observational study aims to evaluate the clinical outcomes after Emborrhoid in patients with high surgical risk. All patients with high surgi...

Aim: The aetiology of cryptoglandular anal fistulas (AFs) is poorly understood. Evidence suggests that persistence and/or recurrence of the disease is more related to inflammatory than infectious factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the immune profile of cryptoglandular AFs, and to perform a histopathological characterization. Method...

Pilonidal disease (PD) is a common suppurative condition located beneath the skin of the sacrococcygeal region. Diagnosis is clinical and usually doesn't require any instrumental examination or imaging. To date, there is still no gold standard treatment for symptomatic PD, although most clinicians advocate surgical excision as a definitive treatmen...

Background The low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) score is a validated questionnaire developed in Denmark to measure the severity of bowel dysfunction after low anterior resection. This retrospective study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the LARS score in the Italian language in a population of Italian patients who underwent low anterior r...

Aim: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery. Methods: International prospective cohort study of consecutive colorectal cancer patients with a d...

Aims: Between 11 to 14% of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) have positive lateral pelvic lymph nodes (LPLN) at diagnosis, related to a worse prognosis with a 5-year survival rate between 30 to 40%. The best treatment choice for this group of patients is still a challenge. The optimal radiotherapy (RT) dose for LPLN patients has...

Background: Implantation of the amniotic membrane and their derivatives can have a beneficial effect on tissue repair and regeneration. We report for the first time the implant of an amniotic membrane in a patient affected by cryptoglandular anal fistula. Methods: A patch of human amniotic membrane was implanted in a female patient affected by a...

The treatment of anal fistula has been found in the oldest medical texts of Hippocrates. Since then, the management of the anal fistula has remained almost unchanged, but in the last 30 years sphincter-sparing minimally invasive operations have been proposed reporting variable results. Although several international guidelines for the diagnosis and...

Background Cloacal deformity (CD) is a disabling condition that severely affects patients’ quality of life.Surgery to repair CD remainsthe mainstay of treatment. The aim of this study is to assess the clinical and functional outcome of patients treated for traumaticCDby three different techniques. Methods A retrospective multicentre study was carr...

Background This study aimed to determine the impact of pulmonary complications on death after surgery both before and during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Methods This was a patient-level, comparative analysis of two, international prospective cohort studies: one before the pandemic (January–October 201...

SARS-CoV-2 has been associated with an increased rate of venous thromboembolism in critically ill patients.Since surgical patients are already at higher risk of venous thromboembolism than general populations, thisstudy aimed to determine if patients with peri-operative or prior SARS-CoV-2 were at further increased risk ofvenous thromboembolism. We...

There is little evidence around the potentially protective role of previous Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination on postoperative mortality in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Prior BCG vaccination did not protect SARS-CoV-2 infected patients against postoperative pulmonary complications and 30-day mortality.

Background Surgery is the main modality of cure for solid cancers and was prioritised to continue during COVID-19 outbreaks. This study aimed to identify immediate areas for system strengthening by comparing the delivery of elective cancer surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic in periods of lockdown versus light restriction.

Robotic ventral mesh rectopexy (RVMR) can be a valid alternative to laparoscopic approach¹ in treating external and internal rectal prolapse.²⁻³ Modifications of this technique are proposed in our video-vignette. A 60-year-old woman with obstructed defaecation due to intra-anal intussusception, 4-cm anterior rectocele, and enterocele underwent RVMR...

Background: Surgery is the main modality of cure for solid cancers and was prioritised to continue during COVID-19 outbreaks. This study aimed to identify immediate areas for system strengthening by comparing the delivery of elective cancer surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic in periods of lockdown versus light restriction. Methods: This internati...

To support the global restart of elective surgery, data from an international prospective cohort study of 8492 patients (69 countries) was analysed using artificial intelligence (machine learning techniques) to develop a predictive score for mortality in surgical patients with SARS-CoV-2. We found that patient rather than operation factors were the...

Any surgeon who treats anal fistula must balance the proposed surgical procedure with the risk to anal continence. Sphincter cutting procedures lead to the highest healing rates, but with the increased risk of anal continence impairment and deformity [1,2]. Several sphincter-sparing techniques have been introduced but these lead to lower healing ra...

PurposeTo determine whether outpatient transradial emborrhoid technique can be performed safely and effectively in the treatment of symptomatic hemorrhoids.Materials and Methods The transradial emborrhoid technique was used to treat 12 patients with symptomatic hemorrhoids in an outpatient setting during a 4-month period. After percutaneous cathete...

Lay Summary Clinical decision-making in the treatment of patients with obstructed defaecation remains controversial and no international guidelines have been provided so far. This study reports a consensus among European opinion leaders on the management of obstructed defaecation in different possible clinical scenarios.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the efficacy of two different phlebotonic therapies, preoperatively administered in advanced hemorrhoidal disease (HD) patients with recommendation for surgery, and to assess patient satisfaction after treatment. In this prospective observational study, 100 patients were preoperatively treated either with mic...

Background: Surgical treatment of anal fistulas is still a challenge. The aims of this study were to evaluate the adoption and healing rates for the different surgical techniques used in Italy over the past 15 years. Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective observational study of patients affected by simple and complex anal fistulas of cryp...

Peri-operative SARS-CoV-2 infection increases postoperative mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal duration of planned delay before surgery in patients who have had SARS-CoV-2 infection. This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study included patients undergoing elective or emergency surgery during October 2020. Su...

Background Arterial hyperflow to haemorrhoids has been implicated as a possible pathophysiological co-factor in haemorrhoidal disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate how transanal haemorrhoidal dearterialization (THD) can influence haemodynamic parameters at the level of the haemorrhoidal piles. Methods Patients with grade III haemor...

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 is revolutionizing healthcare delivery. The aim of this study was to reach a consensus among experts as to the possible applications of telemedicine in the proctologic field. Methods A group of 55 clinical practice recommendations was developed by a clinical guidance group based on coalescence of evidence and ex...

Aim This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Method This was an international cohort study of patients undergoing elective resection of colon or rectal cancer without preoperative suspicio...

Background: Surgical services are preparing to scale up in areas affected by COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate the association be- tween preoperative SARS-CoV-2 testing and postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing elective cancer surgery. Methods: This international cohort study included adult patients undergoing elective s...

Background: External anal sphincter contractility significantly contributes to control the stools passage. An artificial anal sphincter placed into the intersphincteric space is a safe and effective procedure to treat fecal incontinence, even if its mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated. Objective: The aim of this study was to evalua...

Background Simple anal fistula is one of the most common causes of proctological surgery and fistulotomy is considered the gold standard. This procedure, however, may cause complications. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the surgical treatment of simple anal fistula with traditional and sphincter-sparing techniques. Methods A litera...

Background Surgical services are preparing to scale up in areas affected by COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate the association between preoperative SARS-CoV-2 testing and postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing elective cancer surgery. Methods This international cohort study included adult patients undergoing elective surge...

The aims of this population study were to assess the lockdown impact on patients waiting for hemorrhoidal surgery, and the role of telemedicine in patient management. All patients on our waiting list for hemorrhoidal surgery were considered. Eligible patients were contacted by phone. Rørvik score was evaluated and compared to the baseline score. Un...

Hemorrhoidal disease is a widespread proctologic clinical entity. Even if surgical excision is an effective treatment, it only represents the standard procedure for patients with high-grade hemorrhoids. Considering that most cases are grade I or II hemorrhoids, oral or topical therapies are widely used despite, currently, there are no satisfactory...

Several minimally invasive surgical procedures have been recently developed to treat hemorrhoids without any excision. About 25 years ago, a non-excisional procedure providing doppler-guided ligation of the hemorrhoidal arteries has been proposed - named “hemorrhoidal dearterialization”. The original technique has been modified over the years, and...

Background: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a dynamic disorder that affects the entire pelvic diaphragm. POP may often involve multiple organs. Abdominal sacrocolpopexy is considered the gold standard to treat female anterior and apical prolapse. Abdominal ventral mesh rectopexy has gained increasing acceptance as an effective treatment for rectal...

The primary aim of this prospective study was to assess the efficacy of Sphinkeeper™ (SK) implantation in patients with faecal incontinence. Forty‐two patients with faecal incontinence (14 with sphincter defects) underwent SK implantation and were followed up for a mean(s.d.) of 15·9(8·6) months. SK implantation was a safe and effective method that...

Purpose: Anorectal function of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients is still poorly understood, with contradictory results. This prospective observational study aimed to analyze the effect of perianal disease on anorectal function and quality of life in IBD patients. Methods: Patient assessment included full clinical examination, validated sco...

THD® Doppler procedure is commonly utilized to manage hemorrhoidal disease. It has contributed to significant change in the therapeutic approach to this condition. Its purpose is to reduce the arterial overflow to the hemorrhoids by Doppler-guided dearterialization and reduction of hemorrhoidal prolapse by mucopexy. The dearterialization should be...

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and long-term efficacy of fistulotomy and primary sphincteroplasty (FIPS). Secondary endpoints were its impact on postoperative continence status and patients’ satisfaction. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on patients with cryptoglandular anal fistula (AF) who had FIPS between...

Background Management of anal fistula (AF) remains challenging with many controversies. The purpose of this study was to explore current surgical practice in the management of AF with a focus on technical variations among surgeons. Methods An online survey was conducted by inviting all surgeons and physicians on the membership directory of Europea...

Background. Gatekeeper (GK) has shown to be safe and effective in patients with fecal incontinence (FI). We aimed to understand its mechanism of action by comparing pre- and post-implant change in the external anal sphincter (EAS) contractility. Methods. Study of EAS contractility was conducted in 16 FI females (median age = 69 years) before and af...

The article "Transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization (THD) for hemorrhoidal disease: a single-center study on 1000 consecutive cases and a review of the literature" written by C. Ratto et al. was originally published Online First without open access.

Background: The transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization (THD) Doppler procedure is a minimally invasive technique to treat symptomatic hemorrhoids. The aim of the study was to assess the clinical efficacy and the satisfaction of patients in a large series treated with THD and to review the relevant literature. Methods: In this retrospective, si...

Introduction: Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) (sacral nerve stimulation SNS) has become an established therapy for functional disorders of the pelvic organs. Despite its overall success, the therapy fails in a proportion of patients. This may be partially due to inadequate electrode placement with suboptimal coupling of the electrode and nerve. Based...

A careful clinical examination remains of crucial importance in a patient affected by coloproctological diseases. These conditions have a significant impact on the patients’ quality of life and, moreover, are often associated to personality disorders or real psychiatric conditions: some measures are therefore needed to minimize the impact of the vi...

Proctologist has to face both structural and functional alterations of the complex unit of anorectum. In order to obtain a correct diagnosis and a careful patient?s selection to treatment, the knowledge of the diagnostic tools is mandatory, because, to the date, several tests can contribute to an accurate diagnosis, but none of them is sufficient w...