[Emergency surgery of left colonic occlusion]

The authors have reported 61 emergency cases of left-sided colonic obstruction recorded over a period spanning for ten years. The observations break down showed that 44 patients had carcinoma of the colon; 9 presented with volvulus; 4 with diverticulitis; 1 with ischemic colitis, and 3 suffered from Ogilvie's syndrome. Surgical procedures, associated or not with cure, included colostomy (30 cases), colonoscopic detorsion (8 cases), resection (22 cases). The overall morbidity and mortality rates were 26% and 13%, respectively.