title: Clinical outcome of self-expandable metal stent placement in the management of malignant proximal colon obstruction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There are limited data regarding the clinical outcomes of self-expandable metal stents in the treatment of proximal colon obstruction. We compared the clinical outcomes of stent placement in patients with malignant proximal to distal colon obstructions.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed medical records from 37 consecutive patients from three institutions (19 men; mean age, 72 years) who underwent endoscopic stent placement at a malignant obstruction of the proximal colon. We also examined the records from 99 patients (50 men; mean age, 65 years) who underwent endoscopic stent placement for a distal colon obstruction. Technical success, clinical improvements, complications and stent patency were compared between treatments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The technical success rate tended to be lower in stents inserted to treat proximal colon obstructions than in those used to treat distal colon obstructions (86% vs 97%, p=0.06). Clinical improvement was achieved in 78% of patients (29/37) with proximal colonic stenting and in 91% of patients (90/99) with distal colonic stenting (p=0.08). Complications (24% vs 27%), stent migration (8% vs 8%) and stent reocclusion rates (11% vs 17%) did not differ significantly between groups. Two cases of bowel perforation related to stenting (5%) occurred in patients with proximal colonic stenting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The technical success and clinical improvement associated with self-expandable metal stents used to treat proximal colon obstruction tend to be lower than cases of distal colon obstruction. Technical failure is an important cause of poor clinical improvement in patients with proximal colon stenting. Complication rates and stent patency appear to be similar in both groups.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yu Kyung
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Sang Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Bo-In
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kang Moon
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chul Hyun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Jin Su
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae Hyuck
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Jae Myung
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: In Seok
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Myung-Gyu
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Kyu Yong
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: In-Sik
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Chung