[Surgical treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation]

We review current experience with surgical treatment of severe constipation due to primary inertia of the colon. Over the last 10 years, we have operated 18 patients (14 females and 4 males) with severe constipation. The surgical procedure was either nearly total colonectomy with ascending colon/rectum anastomosis (8 cases) or total colonectomy with ileorectal anastomosis (9 cases). In one patient, coloproctectomy was performed with an ileoanal anastomosi. Indications for surgery were based on results of barium emena and functional evaluation of defecation. Results were satisfactory in all patients. In several patients however, we noted that the motility of other levels of the digestive tract was also impaired. Colonectomy was introduced as a treatment for chronic constipation nearly a century ago and although very few indications have been retained in the recent this procedure has now become an acceptable surgical approach in a limited number of well-though-out cases.