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Can colonoscopy diagnose transmural ischaemic colitis after abdominal aortic surgery? An evidence-based approach
T Houe1, J E Thorböll, U Sigild
1Department of Vascular Surgery, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Objectives:
to assess the diagnostic value of colonoscopy in ischaemic colitis following abdominal aortic surgery, based on a literature review, and to introduce the concept of evidence-based medicine.
Method:
a review of the literature according to evidence-based principles was made by all doctors of our department.
Results:
seven prospective non-randomised reports on routine colonoscopy after abdominal aortic surgery were found. None of the participants found all the reports, and the last was identified by the reviewer.
Conclusions:
Endoscopy may disclose ischaemic colitis, but cannot separate transmural from the clinically less important mucosal ischaemia. Endoscopy had no impact on mortality in any of the prospective series. The evidence-based conference was an inspiring teaching modality, and illustrated for the participants the difficulty in performing a targeted literature search.