[Emergency colectomy using primary anastomosis in obstructive cancer of the left colon]

From 1979-1982 a small series of 12 patients with obstruction from a carcinoma of the left colon underwent emergency abdominal colectomy with primary ileosigmoidostomy or ileorectostomy without diversion. The mortality and morbidity was favourable compared with those reported in series of similar cases treated by staged procedures or primary resection. This study could not document the more advanced state of cancers with acute obstruction. Further follow-up of this series is needed. This procedure is conceptually attractive in cases with obstructing left side carcinomas.