title: Surgical management and outcome in acute ischemic colitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ischemic colitis is the most common form of gastrointestinal ischemia. Patients usually present with abdominal discomfort and bloody diarrhea. Treatment is contingent on the severity of disease. Mucosal/nongangrenous ischemia requires only supportive measures and medical management, whereas transmural/gangrenous ischemia may require prompt surgical intervention. The purpose of this study was to review the surgical management of ischemic colitis in a tertiary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective chart review of patients with ischemic colitis managed from 1995 to 2000 at the Ochsner Foundation Hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-eight patients were identified. Ten of these had disease significant enough to require surgery (21%) and are the basis of this review. Eight were women, and the mean age was 71.4 years (range 43-85 years). Distribution of the disease was the right colon in 4 cases, pancolitis in 3, sigmoid in 2, and the left colon in 1. Nine patients underwent bowel resection: primary anastomosis in 3 and creation of a stoma in the other 6 (5 ileostomies and 1 transverse colostomy). Follow-up ranged from 3 days to 13.8 years. One patient died perioperatively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgical management produced good results.
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: Jose Eduardo
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: de Aguilar-Nascimento