Does short-term morbidity and stoma reduction outweigh a potential long-term risk of colonic stent placement?

The management of malignant colonic obstruction remains a major challenge in clinical practice. Even while more and more countries introduce a colorectal cancer screening program,1 8% of patients still present with an advanced tumor that causes acute large bowel obstruction.2 These patients usually come to the emergency department because of nausea, vomiting, bloating, constipation, and abdominal distention, often combined with poor intake of food for several days. Emergency resection of the obstructed colonic segment has resulted in high rates of postoperative morbidity (54%) and mortality (12%),3 which could be attributed to the poor clinical condition and nutritional status of the patient, the invasiveness of the surgical intervention, and the surgical team available in the emergency setting.

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