Subtotal colectomy as a last resort for unrelenting, unlocalized, lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage: experience with 12 cases.

A 7-year experience involving 12 cases of massive, unrelenting lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage is presented. In these patients, the bleeding could not be localized by multiple diagnostic modalities and was managed by blind subtotal colectomy. While the procedure was efficacious in arresting bleeding in all cases, a resultant mortality of four cases (33%) ensued. Morbidity among the survivors was significant. Only three patients (25%) survived without complications, which enabled an early discharge from the hospital. Diverticulosis was the most common cause (83%) of uncontrollable and preoperatively undiagnosed bleeding in this group of patients. These 12 cases of blind subtotal colectomy for massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding represent one of the larger series in the literature. These data are consistent with more recent reports that indicate that subtotal colectomy for lower gastrointestinal bleeding is an effective but a formidable procedure. This is contrary to the earlier published results.