Colonoscopy following intraoperative lavage in the management of severe colonic bleeding

Intraoperative lavage of the colon through a catheter inserted into the caecum provides a rapid means of cleansing the bowel of blood and clots to enable thorough colonoscopy in cases of severe colonic bleeding. This permits diagnosis of the site and cause of haemorrhage in those cases in which neither arteriography, conventional colonoscopy, nor laparotomy alone are helpful. Four cases are presented in which the technique of colonoscopy following intraoperative lavage allowed diagnosis and treatment in massive large bowel bleeding.