Use of Self-expandable Stents for Obstructive Distal and Proximal Large Bowel Cancer: A Retrospective Study in a Single Centre

Abstract

The aim of our retrospective study was to determine the effectiveness and safety of self-expandable metal stents in patients presenting with large bowel obstruction secondary to colorectal cancer (regardless of the tumour site), in a district general hospital setting. All patients who had endoscopic colonic stents insertion for obstructive colorectal cancer between 2001 and 2005 at our centre were identified retrospectively from patients' discharge database and the unit database. The patients were divided into the 'palliation group' where the stents were inserted to relief symptoms only and the 'bridge group' where patients with resectable cancer underwent colonic stenting as a bridge to improve patient's general condition before definite surgery. Thirty-eight patients were included in the final analysis. Thirty-three tumours were in the distal colon and five were in more proximal lesions. Stent insertion was successful in 35 patients (92%). Overall clinical success was 71%. All five proximal colonic tumours (13%) had successful stent insertion. Mortality related to procedure was 2%, and the average survival in all patients was 141 days from time of stent insertion. Colonic stent is a safe and effective method for relief of immediate symptoms of malignant distal and proximal large bowel obstruction.