Endoluminal Colonic Wall Stents for the Management of Malignant Recto-Sigmoid Obstruction

However, in the remaining patients the disease is incurable owing to metastases or local invasion. Palliative resection provides good relief of local symptoms (obstruction, diarrhea, constipation, bleeding, pain, tenesmus and rectal discharge), but the mortality can be as high as 21% [11]. A simple alternative is a proximal diverting colostomy, but this can only relieve symptoms due to obstruction [7]. These procedures often involve a prolonged recovery period, encroaching on an already limited prognosis and may leave patients with a permanent colostomy with which they may not be able to cope [3].