title: Surgical management of large bowel obstruction due to colonic cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bowel obstruction represents a common surgical emergency. The purpose of this study is to highlight our principles while managing cases of large bowel obstruction (LBO) due to colonic carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one patients with LBO underwent emergency surgery. Patients with LBO caused by obstructive malignant colonic lesions underwent either with one-stage primary resection and anastomosis (14 patients, 67%) or two-stage operation (7 patients, 33%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no operation-related complications. The average length of hospitalisation was 14 days with a range from 10 to 23 days. Postoperative mortality was 14%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One-stage primary resection and anastomosis of the large bowel, is a feasible option in cases of emergency. LBO caused by colonic carcinoma can be performed with acceptable morbidity and mortality whenever comorbidity of the patient is not a contraindication.
authors.affiliation: District General Hospital of Corfu, Ioulias Andreadi 14 str., Corfu 49100, Greece. gats@otenet.gr
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gatsoulis
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Roukounakis
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kafetzis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mavrakis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003082:Colectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D003125:Colostomy / Q000379:methods; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D007420:Intestine, Large / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome