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Natural history of adhesional small bowel obstruction: counting the cost

M S Wilson1, J Hawkswell, R F McCloy

  • 1University Department of Surgery, Manchester Royal Infirmary, UK.

The British Journal of Surgery
|September 30, 1998
PubMed

Insights

This study on adhesional obstruction found no significant difference in outcomes between conservative and surgical treatments. However, surgical treatment led to a longer hospital stay for patients with intestinal obstruction.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Surgical Outcomes
  • Health Services Research

Background:

  • Adhesional obstruction is a common complication following abdominal surgery.
  • Identifying patterns in initial operations and treatments can improve patient management.
  • Understanding treatment outcomes is crucial for optimizing care pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify patients admitted with adhesional obstruction.
  • To determine patterns in initial operations and treatments for obstructive episodes.
  • To assess the subsequent need for further treatment and patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cross-sectional study of patients admitted with adhesional obstruction (1990-1996).
  • Utilized International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes for patient identification.
  • Assessed patient outcomes through review of case notes.

Main Results:

  • 59 patients met inclusion criteria, with a mean age of 51 years and an average of 1.22 operations per patient.
  • 56% of patients initially received conservative treatment; no statistically significant difference in outcomes between conservative and surgical groups.
  • Surgical treatment resulted in a significantly longer length of stay (median 11 days) compared to conservative treatment (median 6 days).

Conclusions:

  • The study highlights the need for further research into optimal treatment strategies for adhesional obstruction.
  • The methodology can be applied to assess the potential impact of different treatment approaches.
  • Further analysis could inform cost-effectiveness studies for managing intestinal obstruction.
Abstract

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