Comparative study of conventional surgery and internal intestinal splinting with long nasointestinal tube in the treatment of acute small bowel obstruction.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To evaluate the application value of internal intestinal splinting with long nasointestinal tube in the treatment of acute small bowel obstruction. METHODOLOGY: Retrospective analysis of 129 cases, from Apr. 2005 to Dec. 2010 in the 3rd department of general surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University. There were 41 cases in treatment group (internal intestinal splinting with long nasointestinal tube) and 88 cases in control group (conventional SBO surgery). RESULTS: Postoperative timing of passing flatus and defecation time, the rate of postoperative complications and the postoperative mortality did not show any statistically significant difference between the two groups, (p >0.05); the 5 years recurrence rate of 4.88% (2/41) in the treatment group was obviously less than the 18.18% (16/88) of the control group, (p <0.05). The recurrence time in the treatment group was 42.50±7.78 months, obviously later than the control group 20.25±11.82 months, a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with conventional acute SBO surgery, there is less recurrence rate and late recurrence time in the internal intestinal splinting with long nasointestinal tube group. It is an ideal treatment for acute small bowel obstruction.