Outcomes after stenting for malignant large bowel obstruction without radiologist support.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Oncology
• Interventional Endoscopy

Background:

• Colorectal malignancies frequently cause large bowel obstruction.
• Colonic stenting offers a minimally invasive option for palliation or bridging to surgery.
• The role of interventional radiologists in colonic stent insertion is debated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the outcomes of colonic stent insertion for obstructing colorectal cancer.
• To assess the feasibility and safety of performing these procedures without radiologist support.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 53 patients undergoing colonic stent insertion over eight years.
• Procedures performed by a single endoscopist with fluoroscopic guidance.
• Data collected prospectively on stent success, complications, and patient outcomes.

Main Results:

• Overall success rate of 90.6% for colonic stent insertion.
• Technical success in 94.3% and clinical success in 96.0% of cases.
• Low complication rate (12.0%) with no observed mortality, perforation, or hemorrhage.

Conclusions:

• Colonic stent insertion for malignant obstruction can be successfully performed by an endoscopist without radiologist assistance.
• Adequately trained endoscopists can achieve good outcomes, comparable to published data.
• This approach provides a viable treatment option for patients with obstructing colorectal cancer.