[Results of surgical treatment of mechanical ileus of the small intestine].

Between 1982 and 1988 275 patients with obstruction of the small intestine were operated. The etiology of obstruction: adhesions 48%, malignancies 26%, strangulated hernias 8%. The duration of obstruction symptoms was 3.7 days prior to hospital admission and 1.9 days from admission to operation. 78% of patients had a history of previous laparotomies, in 73% there were serious accompanying diseases. Strangulation obstruction was found in 18% of patients. Operative procedures included small bowel resection in 30%, creation of stomata in 14%, and deviation anastomoses in 12%. Postoperative complications were mainly pulmonary. Median time of hospitalization was 24 days, hospital mortality amounted to 7.6%. A low mortality was encountered especially in strangulation obstruction and after resections. Reduction of surgery induced morbidity is primarily made responsible for the good results.