title: [Colonic volvulus and recurrence of volvulus: what should we do?].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Colonic volvulus (CV) is an uncommon disease in our country, which may present clinically as an intestinal obstruction or occlusion. Its diagnosis and therapeutic management remains controversial. The objective of this article is to present our series, analyse the results and establish a therapeutic approach to decrease the recurrence of the volvulus.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective, descriptive study of patients diagnosed with CV between January 1997 and December 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 54 patients, with a mean age of 74 years, who had a total of 89 CV episodes. There was associated disease in 70% of the cases, which included 44% with constipation and 53% with neurological diseases. The volvulus was located in the sigmoid in 87% of cases and in the right colon in 13%. The large majority (92%) of cases had intestinal obstruction. Endoscopic treatment was effective in 61% and urgent surgery was performed in 31% of the cases, and in 40% of the first episodes of CV. There was recurrence of volvulus in 62% of cases treated with surgery, and surgery was performed in 72% of these. In the whole series, surgery was performed in 35 cases (64%), with sigmoidectomy with primary anastomosis being the technique most employed. The overall mortality of the series was 7 cases (12%), with 16% being in cases of surgery due to recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The diagnostic technique and initial treatment of CV is endoscopic decompression. Early elective surgery prevents the high recurrence rate associated with higher mortality.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Coloproctología, Servicio de Cirugía General y Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Universitario de Girona Dr. J. Trueta, Girona, España. acodinac.girona.ics@gencat.cat
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Codina Cazador
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Farres Coll
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Olivet Pujol
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pujadas de Palol
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martín Grillo
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gomez Romeu
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Julia Bergkvist
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D045822:Intestinal Volvulus / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012810:Sigmoid Diseases / Q000601:surgery