Which surgeons avoid a stoma in treating left-sided colonic obstruction? Results of a postal questionnaire

There is now good evidence to indicate that the majority of patients with large bowel obstruction can be safely managed by resection and immediate anastomosis, but have surgeons embraced this policy? A postal survey has been performed to ascertain the opinions of consultant general surgeons within the Wessex region regarding the management of left-sided large bowel obstruction. Of 47 questionnaires sent, 42 replies could be analysed. In patients of good anaesthetic risk, 90% would perform resection with primary anastomosis if the lesion was at the splenic flexure, and 62% would adopt this policy for a rectosigmoid obstruction. In patients of higher anaesthetic risk these figures fell to 71% and 31%, respectively. Surgeons with a gastrointestinal interest were more likely to recommend resection with primary anastomosis. However, this trend reached statistical significance only for splenic flexure and descending colon lesions in good-risk patients. Most surgeons would avoid a stoma in the presence of liver metastases, and only three would be more likely to create a stoma in this situation.