Intestinal obstruction with strangulation of the small bowel

The records of 128 patients operated on for adhesive complete mechanical obstruction of the small intestine were retrospectively reviewed. The gut proved to be strangulated in 53 cases, irreversibly in 16 and reversibly in 37, while 75 patients had simple obstruction (12, 29 and 59%). Continuous abdominal pain was more common in strangulation than in simple obstruction and leukocytosis was most common in irreversible strangulation (both differences significant). But no preoperative clinical parameter was specific for strangulation obstruction. Preoperative hospital stay greater than 25 hours was significantly more common in irreversible strangulation obstruction than in the other groups. Strangulation was preoperatively recognized in only 25% of the cases. The overall mortality rate was 5.5%, but with no statistical intergroup difference, possibly because so few patients died. The study showed that strangulation usually is unrecognized preoperatively, and that early operation is essential for obstruction due to intestinal strangulation. Early surgery is therefore indicated in most cases clinically diagnosed as intestinal obstruction.