Late postoperative intestinal obstruction

Early postoperative intestinal obstruction is most successfully treated with intestinal intubation with a long intestinal tube of the Miller-Abbott, Harris or Cantor type, and only when this fails is reoperation indicated. However, late postoperative intestinal obstruction is better treated by operation as soon as the diagnosis is established and the patient is prepared for the procedure. Decompression of the bowel at the time of operation has become a procedure of choice and it is now possible to completely decompress the bowel in the course of the operation using a Foley catheter inserted through a stab wound in the bowel. Details of the technique are described in this article.