“Choice of surgical approach for the treatment of acute small bowel obstruction: A retrospective analysis from a high-volume single center in Milan, Northern Italy”

Abstract

Background: Acute small bowel obstruction (aSBO) is the most common cause (76%) of acute intestinal obstruction. Laparoscopy use is still controversial in aSBO and indications not yet clearly defined. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of a laparoscopic approach in aSBO by using specific pre-operative criteria for appropriate patient selection. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of patients accepted at the Emergency Department for aSBO between January 2016 and March 2021 and performed a comparative analysis between types of treatment, considering demographics, clinical and radiological presentation, non-operative vs. operative management, intraoperative outcome, and postoperative course. We used a logistic regression to identify the variables related to surgical approach and built a predictive score upon the multivariable predictive model: the “SABO score”. Results: 198 patients were included in the study, of which 145 underwent surgery and 43 were successfully treated laparoscopically. Age and comorbidities were associated with open surgery (OR 3.2, 95% CI: 1.4–7.2, p = 0.006 and OR 2.7, 95% CI: 1.1–6.5, p = 0.023). A SABO score ≥ 0 identified an open approach with a sensitivity of 75.4% and a specificity of 69.8%. Conclusions: Laparoscopy is growing in importance even in emergency settings. Our analysis suggests that a laparoscopic approach can be safe and feasible in aSBO management. Correct patient selection appears to be the key for a successful minimally invasive approach. SABO score therefore could be helpful in choosing the correct surgical strategy for patients with aSBO.

Keywords

• Small bowel obstruction
• Laparoscopy
• Emergency surgery