[Acute intestinal obstruction as a complication of colonic cancer]

The authors report their observations of 164 patients with cancer of the colon, complicated by an acute intestinal obstruction, operated upon on urgent indications. Radical surgery was performed in 73 patients, the postoperative mortality being 31.5%. Palliative operations were performed in 91 patients, the mortality--60%. Rather short terms of the development of acute intestinal obstruction necessitate the accomplishment of one-movement operations with the mandatory decompression of the small intestine. In patients with long term intestinal obstruction the Zeidler-Schlotter operation should be preferred.