Abstract
We are presenting the advantage of manual decompression over the on-table lavage as a way of saving time during an emergency surgery in obstructed left colon cancer (OLCC). Introduction: Left colon cancer can present as an emergency due to obstruction in about 20% of the cases. Therefore, we are often forced to operate on these patients in conditions of an unprepared colon. Aim: We are presenting the advantage of manual decompression over the on-table lavage as a way of saving time during an emergency surgery in obstructed left colon cancer (OLCC).Materials and Methods: We analyzed 54 cases of acute left colon obstruction caused by colon cancer. All were operated as emergency cases in a condition of an unprepared colon. Both, manual decompression and on-table lavage were used for intraoperative colon cleansing (28/26, respectively).Results: The time used for on-table lavage was significantly longer than that for the manual decompression group (>0.05). In all patients, a segmental colon resection and primary anastomosis were done. Conclusion: On-table lavage was technically more challenging. In the future, in large series, we can expect complications with this method because of the weak place on the site of the appendectomy. Both manual decompression and on-table lavage can be used in cases of OLCC for colon cleansing as safe methods, with the only significant difference being time-saving with the manual decompression.
Email this article (Login required) 
