TITLE:
Bowel Obstruction Due to Colonic Tumor: Epidemiological, Diagnostic, and Therapeutic Aspects in the General Surgery Department of Ignace Deen National Hospital (CHU) Conakry
AUTHORS:
Mamadou Sakoba Barry, Mariama Camara, Fatoumata Lamarana Bah, Aboubacar Touré
KEYWORDS:
Colonic Obstruction, Tumor, Ignace Deen
JOURNAL NAME:
Surgical Science,
Vol.17 No.9,
September
7,
2026
ABSTRACT: Introduction: The aim was to report on the management of bowel obstructions caused by colon tumors in the general surgery department of the Ignace Deen National Hospital-CHU in Conakry. Methodology: This was a four-year retrospective descriptive study (January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2024). All patients admitted and operated on for histologically confirmed colonic tumor obstruction during the study period were included. The variables considered were sociodemographic, diagnostic, and therapeutic. Results: We collected 489 cases of colonic obstruction, among which 30 were tumor-related colonic obstructions, representing 6.1% of the cases. The average age was 47.8 years. The sex ratio was 2.75 in favor of men. The clinical examination was dominated by cessation of bowel movements and gas (100%), abdominal pain (100%), and abdominal bloating (70%; n = 21). The tumor was located in the sigmoid colon. This location is justified by the diameter of the sigmoid colon being small, resulting in the rapid obstruction in case of the appearance of a tumor, compared to the other segments, having a much larger diameter. Lieberkühn adenocarcinoma was the most common histological type, accounting for 63.3% (n = 19). The predominant surgical procedure for right-sided tumor obstruction was right hemicolectomy with anastomosis in 33.3% (n = 10), and for left-sided tumor obstruction, the Hartmann procedure was used in 36.7% (n = 11). The outcome was favorable in 73.3% (n = 22) of the cases. Morbidity in the form of surgical site infection was noted in 16.7% (n = 5). The average hospital stay was 28 days. Conclusion: Colonic tumor obstructions are relatively common in our context. Early consultation and a multidisciplinary approach could improve the management of tumor-related colonic obstructions.