Abstract
Purpose : Gastrointestinal bypass surgery is widely practiced as a palliative treatment for malignant bowel obstruction, but few studies evaluating the effectiveness have been reported. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the bypass surgery.
Methods : A retrospective review of consecutive 28 patients who underwent surgical bypass for malignant bowel obstruction in our hospital from January 2003 to December 2010 was performed. The rate of patients who had improvement in their levels of dietary intake, duration of oral intake, survival time, and the other factors affecting these results were assessed.
Results : After the surgery, 21 patients (75%) were able to eat more than soft solids. The median duration of oral intake was 76 days, and the median overall survival was 133 days. Patients who received postoperative chemotherapy showed significant prolongations in the duration of oral ingestion and survival time, compared to those who did not.
Conclusions : Gastrointestinal bypass surgery is relatively safe and effective for palliation of patients with malignant bowel obstruction. However, patient selection for this treatment is a clinical issue requiring thorough consideration.
