Intraoperative colonic lavage in emergency surgical treatment of left-sided colonic obstruction

PURPOSE: The study contained herein was undertaken to verify if immediate resection with anastomosis with on-site lavage in emergency treatment of left colon obstruction is a safe alternative to the multistage procedure, to look for solutions to practical problems outlined by previous authors, and to check the hospital stay. METHOD: between 1991 and 1995, all patients (61) admitted with left colon obstruction were treated with intraoperative colonic lavage and primary anastomosis. Personal development of Dudley's technique is reported. Complications and mortality are pointed out. Later, endoscopy was performed to check the status of all survivors. RESULT: Low mortality (2 percent) and major complication rates (3 percent) and short hospital stay (11 days, except for patients with major complications) are reported in our series. CONCLUSION: One-stage surgery with intraoperative lavage is a safe procedure. Patients have a better quality of life (no stoma occurred) with an effective cost-savings.