Abstract
The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the usefulness of the transanal decompression tube as a bridge to surgery in left-sided obstructive colorectal carcinoma. The subjects comprised 30 patients who had undergone transanal decompression in the period from January 2004 through December 2009. We analyzed the success rates of intubation and bowel decompression, the surgical procedure, complications, and so on. The intubation rate was 80% (24/30), and the bowel decompression rate was 79.2% (19/24). We experienced two cases of septic shock immediately after intubation. As an elective operation, resection of the carcinoma with bowel anastomosis could be performed in 78.9% (15/19). There were no cases of anastomotic leakage, and no severe complications were experienced. The transanal decompression tube is useful in acute, malignant left-sided colorectal obstruction. Moreover, improvement of the technique is required to increase the intubation rate and the decompression rate, and to diminish the time from admission to elective surgery.
