title: [Surgical treatment of emergency pathology of the left colon].
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the postoperative morbidity and mortality of patients with left colon disease that underwent emergency surgery. Intra-operative colonic irrigation (ICI) with primary anastomosis was used for unresectable lesions, faecal peritonitis, colon remnant associated lesions and poor performance status. The options included colostomy, Hartmann procedure or subtotal colectomy; 127 resections of left-sided large bowel were performed. In 56 cases the procedure was a Hartmann operation, in 38 cases subtotal colectomy and in 33 ICI. The most frequent complication was abdominal sepsis (29%). The overall mortality was 24%; 39% for the Hartmann procedure; 16% for subtotal colectomy and 6% for ICI. Our results suggest that ICI should be the first choice in patients with good performance status who undergo emergency surgery for left colon disease without faecal peritonitis or associated right colon lesions.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía General y Digestiva, Ciudad Sanitaria y Universitaria de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet del Llobregat. Barcelona.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jorba
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Biondo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alcobendas
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viladrich
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bettónica
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Borobia
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Farran
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jaurrieta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D003082:Colectomy / Q000379:methods; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000401:mortality