Caecostomy in the management of acute left colonic obstruction

In the management of acute left colonic obstruction there is a tendency to perform immediate resection with anastomosis. We evaluated 27 consecutive patients (mean age 73.8 years) with acute left colonic obstruction and gross dilatation of the proximal colon treated by the "traditional" staged procedure. After caecostomy, no further resection was performed in two patients. In 25 patients, the obstructing tumour was resected after a median period of 14 days. In 17 (68%) patients the caecostomy was closed simultaneously. In 8 patients this was done at a third stage. Histologic examination revealed diverticular disease in 6 and adenocarcinoma in 19 patients. No deaths occurred after caecostomy nor was there major morbidity. After colonic resection, one in-hospital, nonprocedure related, death occurred (mortality rate 4%). In 21 patients with an anastomosis no dehiscence occurred. Other postoperative complications occurred in 5 patients (morbidity rate 20%). The median hospital stay for patients with a two-stage procedure was 32 days and with a three-stage procedure 39.5 days. The staged procedure in the management of acute colonic obstruction is still a safe and acceptable procedure in elderly patients with acute large bowel obstruction. To shorten the hospital stay the period between caecostomy and colonic resection should be reduced and it is best to close the caecostomy simultaneously.