CECAL VOLVULUS - ANALYSIS OF 50 PATIENTS WITH LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP

Patients [50] operated upon for cecal volvulus were analyzed. The ages ranged from 14-88 yr and averaged 53 yr. Eighteen were males and 32 were females. The presentation was acute, requiring urgent surgery in 41 patients; 9 patients presented with chronic symptoms and were operated upon electively. In 14 patients (28%) the cecal volvulus was temporally related to another acute medical problem. The diagnosis was made radiographically in 22 patients (44%) and at operation in 28 patients (56%). Cecal volvulus was correctly diagnosed by Ba enema in 20 of the 29 patients (69%) undergoing the study. Eighteen of the patients were treated by cecopexy, 14 by resection, 12 by detorsion alone, and 6 by tube cecostomy. Mortality was 12% (6/50) and was associated with gangrenous cecum (33%, 3/9), other systemic diseases (24%, 5/21), age over 50 yr (19%, 6/31), and acute presentation (15%, 6/41). In the absence of gangrenous cecum, enterotomy was associated with subsequent wound infection in 23% (7/30), as compared to none (0/11) when enterotomy was not performed. There were no recurrences of cecal volvulus in the entire series during follow-up which extended to 17 yr, averaged 5.7 yr, and was complete in 96% (42/44) of survivors. When gangrenous cecum is present, resection is the treatment of choice. In the absence of gangrenous bowel, cecopexy is recommended because of a low mortality (0/18), low morbidity (3/18), low recurrence rate (0/18) and absence of need to open the unprepped bowel.