title: Small bowel transit does not correlate with outcome of surgery in patients with colonic inertia.
abstract: Colonic inertia is a motility disorder that may involve dysfunction of the entire intestinal tract. The aim of this study was to assess whether small bowel transit time is associated with the outcome of total abdominal colectomy in patients with colonic inertia. A retrospective review of the medical records of patients who underwent total abdominal colectomy for colonic inertia was performed to identify those individuals who had a preoperative small bowel transit study. The outcome of surgery was correlated with the results of the small bowel transit study. Fifty-two female patients underwent total abdominal colectomy for colonic inertia between 1988 and 2000, of whom 17 (33%) had a preoperative small bowel transit study. The small bowel transit time was normal in 11 patients (65%), and the time was abnormally prolonged in 6 (35%). At a mean follow-up of 37 months, there was no significant difference in the outcome of surgery between the two groups. A good result was achieved in 36% of the normal small bowel transit time group compared with 33% in the abnormal group; the result was fair in 63% and 33%, and poor in 0% and 33%, respectively (P=NS). The small bowel transit study does not reliably predict the outcome of total abdominal colectomy in patients with colonic inertia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Florida, Weston, FL 33331, USA.
authors.forename: Oded
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zmora
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Colquhoun
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Efron
authors.forename: Eric G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Juan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Nogueras
authors.forename: Anthony M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Vernava
authors.forename: Steven D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Wexner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D003082:Colectomy / Q000379:methods*; D003248:Constipation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome