Comparison of early and late surgery following colonic stenting for obstructive colorectal cancer

Abstract

Purpose: Colonic stenting as a bridge to surgery is an alternative to emergency surgery in patients with acute malignant colonic obstruction. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of early and late surgery after colonic stenting for obstructive colorectal cancer. Methods: From March 2004 to August 2014, the medical records of obstructive colorectal cancer patients who underwent surgery after colonic stent insertion were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into early surgery (≤7 days after stenting) and late surgery (>7 days after stenting) groups. Results: Eighty-four patients underwent colonic stenting for obstructive colorectal cancer. Forty-six patients were ultimately enrolled: 18 in the early and 28 in the late surgery groups. The mean ages were 63.7 and 71.8 years, respectively (P=0.01). Blood loss was lower in the early surgery group (median [interquartile range], 50 [50–50] mL vs. 50 [50–100] mL; P=0.020). The time to first flatus was longer in the early surgery group (3.0 [3.0–5.0] days vs. 2.0 [2.0–3.0] days; P=0.010). The time to first soft food intake was similar. Postoperative complications did not differ (16.7% vs. 14.3%, respectively; P=0.525) and no patients died. Conclusion: Surgical outcomes were similar between early and late surgery. However, the former featured less blood loss, indicating less surgical difficulty. These results show that early surgery can be performed safely in obstructive colorectal cancer patients after colonic stenting if the patient’s clinical condition is amenable to early surgery.