Eight years experience with civilian injuries of the colon

A chart review of 130 patients with colonic injuries treated between the years 1968 and 1976 were reviewed. Types of operative procedure, complication rate, mortality and hospital stay were tabulated. The patients treated by primary closure and exteriorized primary repair had a 2% mortality, while various staged procedures used in the remaining patients resulted in a 6% mortality. Complications were common in all types of repair and correlated with the severity of the injury. Primary closure of the injured colon can safely be accomplished in carefully selected patients. Staged procedures necessitate a secondary operation which we found to be relatively benign, and we continue to use staged operations in the majority of our patients with colonic injuries. This management protocol has resulted in a 4 to 6% over-all mortality.