title: Endoscopic treatment of colonic obstruction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Over the past 15 years, great strides have been made in the nonsurgical management of malignant large bowel obstruction. Progress continues, particularly in the area of self-expanding metal stents. The purpose of this review is to assess the available endoscopic techniques for colonic decompression and document the inexorable trend toward supremacy of the self-expanding metal stent in this arena.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stents are being designed with the structure and function of the colon in mind allowing better and longer-lasting palliation. Improvement in the design of the colonic decompression tube allows a low-tech approach to the palliation of colonic obstruction. Argon plasma coagulation is helpful in restoring continuity of the obstructed colonic lumen in certain circumstances.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As a consequence of technological innovation and growing expertise in the community, gastroenterology is becoming the go to specialty in the early management and palliation of malignant bowel obstruction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Texas - M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. adekovich@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Alexander A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Dekovich
mesh_terms: D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome