Abstract
An 84-year-old man underwent a colostomy for an intestinal obstruction arising from sigmoid colon cancer. As the second phase, he underwent high anterior resection, and the artificial anus was not closed. Nine months after the surgery when closure of the artificial anus was considered, complete obstruction of the anastomotic site was observed and an endoscopic incision and dilatation were conducted. Intestinal perforation was considered as a potential complication, however, linear visualization of the proximal and distal intestinal tract at the site of obstruction was possible using a balloon catheter for hypotonic duodenography during the procedure. The obstructed site was incised using a flex knife, followed by endoscopic balloon dilatation, which achieved good patency. Accordingly, the artificial anus was closed and the patient demonstrated appropriate defecation following the operation. This case is an example in which endoscopic incision and dilatation were safely and successfully conducted for a complete anastomotic obstruction.
