Immediate resection in emergency large bowel surgery: a 7 year audit

Abstract

In a consecutive series of 153 emergency admissions with large bowel disease during a 7 year period, 49 per cent were for colonic obstruction, 46 per cent for peritonitis and 5 per cent for miscellaneous conditions. Urgent operation was performed on 104 (68 per cent) patients. Of those operated upon, 82 (79 per cent) had a primary resection with a mortality rate of 12·2 per cent, intraperitoneal sepsis rate of 2·4 per cent and wound sepsis rate of 7·3 per cent. The median postoperative hospital stay was 21 days. An immediate anastomosis was performed in 46 (56 per cent) patients with a mortality rate of 8·7 per cent, anastomotic leak rate of 2·2 per cent, and wound sepsis rate of 8·7 per cent. The median postoperative hospital stay was 19 days. Copyright © 1985 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd.