Outcomes in Colorectal Surgeon-Driven Management of Obstructing Colorectal Cancers

Emergency surgery for obstructing colorectal cancer is associated with high mortality and morbidity rates.

The purpose of this study was to assess outcomes of emergency surgery for obstructing colorectal cancer in a single hospital, where care was primarily provided by colorectal surgeons.

This was a retrospective cohort study.

The study was conducted at the Toyonaka Municipal Hospital.

The study included 208 consecutive patients who underwent emergency surgery for obstructing colorectal cancer between 1998 and 2013.

Surgical outcomes, including mortality and morbidity, were evaluated.

The obstructing cancers involved the right colon, left colon, and rectum in 78, 97, and 33 of the included patients. Many patients had poor performance indicators, such as age ≥75 years (42%), ASA score of III or more (38%), stage IV colorectal cancer (39%), obstructive colitis (12%), and perforation or penetration (9.6%). Colorectal surgeons performed the operations in all but 5 of the patients. Primary resection and anastomosis were accomplished in 96%, 70%, and 27% of cases involving the right colon, left colon, and rectum. Intraoperative colonic irrigation (n = 32), manual colonic decompression (n = 11), and subtotal or total colorectal resection (n = 34) were performed before left-sided anastomoses. Anastomotic leak was reported in only 2 patients. The in-hospital mortality and morbidity rates were 1.3% and 34.0%.

This study was a retrospective analysis of data from a single hospital.

Surgical outcome analysis for obstructing colorectal cancers managed by specialized colorectal surgeons demonstrates low mortality and morbidity rates. Therefore, we concluded that our management of this condition is safe and feasible.