title: Initial clinical experience with colonic stent placement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study is to review initial experience with a colonic stent as an alternative to colostomy in patients with colonic obstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten patients diagnosed with acute colonic obstructions from both benign and malignant causes underwent stent placement. Self-expandable metallic stents were deployed using fluoroscopic guidance. Patients were followed up clinically until removal of the stent or death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine of the 10 patients who underwent colonic stent placement achieved clinical decompression within 6 hours. Six patients underwent standard mechanical bowel preparation and elective resection of obstructing lesions. The other 4 patients received stent placement for palliative purposes. Complications included 4 cases of migration and 1 death. Migrated stents in the rectum were easily retrieved and replaced using fluoroscopic techniques. There were no perforations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Placement of self-expandable metallic stents for acute colonic obstructions may allow patients to undergo elective surgical resection avoiding possible colostomy.
authors.affiliation: Section of Interventional Radiology, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans 70112, USA.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Wholey
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ferral
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Castaneda-Zuniga
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome