Immediate resection in the treatment of large bowel emergencies.

In a consecutive series of 122 patients who required an emergency operation for disease or injury of the colon or rectum, 80 (65 per cent) had an immediate resection of the diseased segment of bowel, with an operative mortality of 15 per cent. The free use of immediate resection is of benefit to patients, but good results depend on the experience of the surgeon and the use of a number of special techniques.