The outcome of self-expanding metal stents in elderly patients

Emergency surgery for large bowel obstruction is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates, especially in elderly patients. Colonic self-expanding metal stents may provide temporary relief of obstructions and enable preoperative evaluation. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the clinical outcomes of emergency stenting in elderly patients with large bowel obstructions.

Between 1997 and 2010, patients presenting with large bowel obstructions were treated predominantly with self-expanding metal stent insertion. Clinical data, including age, site of obstruction, success rate, and surgery and mortality rates, were collected. Patients were divided into 3 groups (I, II, and III) according to age: <69, 70 to 79, or >80 years.

One hundred thirty-two consecutive patients underwent stent implantation, with a mean age of 72.1 years (range, 28-95 years). Similar diversity of sex, indication, and stricture location was found. There were no significant differences in clinical success (88.7%, 73.8%, and 78.4%, P=.16) and stent-related mortality (2.1%, 3.3%, and 3.6%, P=1.00). Similar rates of stoma creation were also found (59.3%, 46.7%, and 60.0%, P=.76). In contrast, rates of surgery were lower in older patients (50.9%, 38.1%, and 13.5%, P=.0013), and mortality during the same admission was significantly higher in patients>70 years of age (4.0%, 15.0%, and 22.2%, P=.027). Kaplan-Meier 30-day survival curves for the 3 groups showed a trend toward earlier death among patients>70 years of age.

This study demonstrates that stenting provides similar success rates in all age groups but is associated with higher mortality rates in older patients.