Pseudo-colonic obstruction after lumbar spine surgery: a case report

Acute colonic pseudo-obstruction (Ogilvie's syndrome) is characterised by abdominal distension and massive colonic dilatation without any mechanical cause of obstruction. The pathogenesis remains unknown but likely involves imbalance between sympathetic and parasympathetic colon innervation. This syndrome is well known in orthopaedic surgery, as trauma and orthopaedic surgery have been reported as aetiological factors. Some cases have been reported after cervical discectomy. We report a case of Ogilvie's syndrome after lumbar spine surgery. Medical treatment including parasympathetic agent was unsuccessful and the patient underwent a right colectomy. The pathophysiology and treatment are discussed based on a review of the literature.     

Diagnosis and treatment of Ogilvie's syndrome after lumbar spinal surgery. Report of three cases.

Three patients who developed Ogilvie's syndrome following lumbar spinal surgery are described. Ogilvie's syndrome, also known as pseudo-obstruction of the colon, is characterized by massive cecal distention without mechanical obstruction. If this condition is not recognized and not promptly treated, it may be complicated by cecal perforation, a life-threatening hazard. The etiology, diagnosis, management, and potential relationship between lumbar spinal surgery and Ogilvie's syndrome are discussed.     

Ogilvie's syndrome--a case report and review

Ogilvie's syndrome is caused from functional obstruction of the colon without mechanical stenosis and also termed as pseudo-obstruction of the colon. This disease is seen in patient who has other causative distress. The pathogenesis of this rare entity is unknown but it is suspected that there may be an underlying autonomic disturbance which causes non-mechanical obstruction of the colon. Most of the case reports on Ogilvie's syndrome have appeared in European and North American journals but are extremely rare in Japan. Some cases which have been categorized "spastic ileus" may be included in this syndrome. We recently experienced a patient with cerebral infarction who developed non-mechanical obstruction of the colon. This patient was treated successfully with an exploratory laparotomy and sigmoidostomy. It is considered that early diagnosis is an essential part of the initial management of this syndrome. Conservative treatment is indicated for most of the patients but a definitive surgical therapy is occasionally necessary.     

Ogilvie's syndrome following bilateral knee arthroplasty: a case report

Ogilvie's syndrome, also known as acute colonic pseudo-obstruction, is an uncommon but severe postoperative complication of total hip and knee arthroplasty. This syndrome should be borne in mind after arthroplasty surgery. We present a case of this serious postoperative complication and aim to identify the risk factors and alert surgeons to the possibility and appropriate management of Ogilvie's syndrome.     

Idiopathic dilatation of the large intestine (Ogilvie syndrome--acute pseudo-obstruction)

Acute colonic pseudo-obstruction (Ogilvie's syndrome) is characterized by abdominal distention and massive colonic dilatation without any mechanical cause of obstruction. We have reviewed the records of 57 patients, 36 men and 21 women (median age 65.4 y), from 1/1992 to 12/1996, with a colonic pseudo-obstruction, defined as dilatation of at least 10 cm on plain abdominal x-ray. 38 cases (66.5%) followed surgery or trauma and 19 (33.5%) developed symptoms during severe medical illness. 36 cases (63.2%) got i.v. narcotics prior to development of Ogilvie's syndrome. 4 patients underwent conservative treatment alone, 53 patients (93%) had endoscopic decompression with a decompression tube placed in 49 (86%). Due to 2 failures and 2 complications of endoscopic treatment (one ischemic lesion, one perforation; complication rate 3.8%) 4/53 patients had to be operated (7.5%). Clinical success of endoscopic treatment was 88.6% at first attempt and 92.5% at second attempt. General complications tended to be severe, according to the concomitant diseases (morbidity 35%); overall hospital mortality was 21% (12/57). In conclusion, we believe that endoscopic decompression and tube placement is effective and safe for acute colonic pseudo-obstruction not responding to 24 hour conservative treatment.     

Ogilvie's syndrome after lower extremity arthroplasty.

OBJECTIVE: To alert surgeons who perform arthroplasty to the possibility of acute colonic pseudo-obstruction (Ogilvie's syndrome) after elective orthopedic procedures. To identify possible risk factors and emphasize the need for prompt recognition, careful monitoring and appropriate management so as to reduce morbidity and mortality. DESIGN: A case series. SETTING: A university-affiliated hospital that is a major referral centre for orthopedic surgery. PATIENTS: Four patients who had Ogilvie's syndrome after lower extremity arthroplasty. Of this group, 2 had primary hip arthroplasty, 1 had primary knee arthroplasty and 1 had revision hip arthroplasty. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: In all 4 patients Ogilvie's syndrome was recognized late and required surgical intervention. Two patients died as a result of postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: Our case series identified increasing age, immobility and patient-controlled narcotic analgesia as potential risk factors for Ogilvie's syndrome in the postoperative orthopedic patient. Prompt recognition and early consultation with frequent clinical and radiographic monitoring are necessary to avoid colonic perforation and its significant associated death rate.     

开腹手术后麻痹性肠梗阻发生危险因素分析

目的对开腹手术后麻痹性肠梗阻发生的危险因素进行分析。方法回顾性分析2011年1月至2014年12月730例接受开腹手术治疗患者临床资料,采用回归分析方程确定麻痹性肠梗阻发生的危险因素。结果开腹手术患者并发麻痹性肠梗阻发生率为5.6%。单因素分析显示年龄≥60岁、手术时间≥3 h、低蛋白血症、肠粘连范围广、疾病恶性程度和术后白细胞计数≥10×109/L患者麻痹性肠梗阻发生率高,差异具有统计学意义(χ2=5.452、5.295、10.365、9.527、4.905、10.442,P0.05)。多元回归分析显示腹部手术史、手术时间长、肠粘连范围广和无肠道准备是开腹手术后麻痹性肠梗阻发生的危险因素(P0.05)。结论腹部手术史、手术时间长、肠粘连范围广和无肠道准备是开腹手术后麻痹性肠梗阻是麻痹性肠梗阻发生的危险因素,临床工作中应当对上述患者予以干预。     

The use of neostigmine to treat postoperative ileus in orthopedic spinal patients.

Ileus is a common complication of spinal surgery, affecting 5% to 12% of all patients. Often this ileus is secondary to acute colonic pseudo-obstruction. This study is a prospective clinical trial of neostigmine in seven spinal patients with ileus after surgery to demonstrate its efficacy. All patients had evidence of the Ogilvie syndrome that was unresponsive to 24 hours of conservative therapy. Patients received 2 mg neostigmine, and abdominal circumference, clinical response, and radiographic colonic measurements were recorded. Patients were followed for recurrence of ileus for their remaining time in the hospital. Six patients had prompt colonic decompression, and no patient had recurrence of colonic distension. Side effects were minimal. These results suggest that postoperative spinal patients with ileus secondary to acute colonic pseudo-obstruction that is unresponsive to conservative therapy benefit from treatment with neostigmine, resulting in safe, rapid decompression of the colon.     

Spinal anesthesia and Ogilvie's syndrome

Ogilvie's syndrome is an uncommon disorder of acute colonic pseudoobstruction that is often associated with concomitant medical disease or psychiatric medication. Therapeutic interventions include cholinesterase inhibitors, colonic decompression, and, in severe cases, surgery. We report a case of functional obstruction that was resolved after spinal anesthesia. The effect of spinal anesthesia on the autonomic control of colonic motility is discussed, and the literature on neuraxial blockade and Ogilvie's syndrome is reviewed.     

Ogilvie's syndrome following posterior spinal arthrodesis for scoliosis

We report Ogilvie''s syndrome following posterior spinal arthrodesis on a patient with thoracic and lumbar scoliosis associated with intraspinal anomalies. Postoperative paralytic ileus can commonly complicate scoliosis surgery. Ogilvie''s syndrome as a cause of abdominal distension and pain has not been reported following spinal deformity correction and can mimic post-surgical ileus. 12 year old female patient with double thoracic and lumbar scoliosis associated with Arnold-Chiari 1 malformation and syringomyelia. The patient underwent posterior spinal fusion from T₄ to L₃ with segmental pedicle screw instrumentation and autogenous iliac crest grafting. She developed abdominal distension and pain postoperatively and this deteriorated despite conservative management. Repeat ultrasounds and abdominal computer tomography scans ruled out mechanical obstruction. The clinical presentation and blood parameters excluded toxic megacolon and cecal volvulus. As the symptoms persisted, a laparotomy was performed on postoperative day 16, which demonstrated ragged tears of the colon and cecum. A right hemi-colectomy followed by ileocecal anastomosis was required. The pathological examination of surgical specimens excluded inflammatory bowel disease and vascular abnormalities. The patient made a good recovery following bowel surgery and at latest followup 3.2 years later she had no abdominal complaints and an excellent scoliosis correction. Ogilvie''s syndrome should be included in the differential diagnosis of postoperative ileus in patients developing prolonged unexplained abdominal distension and pain after scoliosis correction. Early diagnosis and instigation of conservative management can prevent major morbidity and mortality due to bowel ischemia and perforation.     

Factors associated with the resolution of postoperative ileus in newborn infants

Reliable indicators of ileus resolution following laparotomy have not been identified in newborn infants. The purpose of this study was to correlate commonly available clinical parameters with the resolution of postoperative ileus in newborn infants after abdominal procedures. The presentation, treatment, and postoperative abdominal examination of 60 consecutive newborn infants who underwent a heterogeneous group of primary abdominal operations were evaluated. No significant association was observed between the time to first bowel movement (resolution of ileus) and age, postconceptual age, weight, degree of intraabdominal contamination, duration of surgery, type of operative procedure, presence or absence of abdominal distension, and time to first bowel sounds. Opioid use was associated with a delay in the time to first bowel movement that was not accounted for by the effects of any other variable. Easily obtainable clinical parameters are not universally useful for predicting the duration of ileus in newborn infants after abdominal surgery. The use of opioids is associated with delayed resolution of ileus. Measures to limit the use of opioids may be effective in shortening the duration of postoperative ileus in newborn infants.     

Ogilvie's syndrome associated with acute cytomegaloviral infection after liver transplantation

Ogilvie's syndrome, or acute colonic pseudo-obstruction, is a rare complication following liver transplantation. We describe two cases in which the onset of Ogilvie's syndrome is strongly temporally associated with acute cytomegaloviral (CMV) infection in immunosuppressed liver transplant recipients. The pseudo-obstruction resolved rapidly in both cases following treatment with intravenous ganciclovir. Acute CMV infection therefore appeared to be causally linked to pathogenesis of Ogilvie's syndrome in these two cases. This association has not been described previously to our knowledge, and should be considered in any transplant patient presenting with Ogilvie's syndrome. Received: 30 July 1998 Revised: 1 August 1999 Accepted: 16 September 1999     

Acute colonic pseudoobstruction: Ogilvie's syndrome

Based on literature and own original clinical data authors conclude that Ogilvie's syndrome is the form of dynamic obstruction of colon due to lesion of retroperitoneal neural nodes, heart failure and intoxication. Ogilvie's syndrome complicates therapeutic and surgical diseases. This syndrome can be manifested with acute abdomen symptoms and at 22% cases may be the cause of surgical treatment. Ogilvie's syndrome is successfully treated with evacuation of intestinal contents, but the risk of recurrence after this treatment is high. Ethiotropic therapy, correction of water-electrolytic balance and tissues oxygenation, administration of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are the more effective treatment of this syndrome.     

Thoracic epidural anaesthesia and analgesia for abdominal surgery: effects on gastrointestinal function and perfusion

Post-operative ileus constitutes a major morbidity after abdominal surgery. While systemic opioid analgesia is thought to interfere with gastrointestinal function, epidural anaesthesia and analgesia can theoretically speed resolution of ileus. This chapter reviews the pathophysiology of post-operative ileus and the experimental and clinical literature which investigates the effects of epidural therapy on gastrointestinal motility and blood flow. The risks of epidural therapy, including the potential stress on fresh colonic anastomoses, are also discussed. Emphasis is placed on the inclusion of local anaesthetics in the epidural analgesic solution and on the vertebral level of epidural catheter placement. Epidural anaesthesia–analgesia targeted to the thoracic and high lumbar spine congruent to the abdominal incision appears to shorten the duration of ileus after abdominal surgery without undue risk to the patient. However, length of hospital stay is not decreased unless fast-track management is implemented.     

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目的 提高对胆石性肠梗阻的认识，及时明确诊断和手术治疗。方法 回顾性分析１３例胆石性肠梗阻的临床及影像学资料。结果 １３例均经手术治愈，仅３例术前确诊为胆石性肠梗阻。结论 滚动性梗阻是胆石性肠梗阻的特征，及时的Ｂ超和Ｘ线检查有助于早期明确诊断，手术解除结石梗阻是唯一的治疗手段。     

腹腔镜手术在腹茧症治疗中的安全性及可行性研究

目的探讨腹腔镜手术在腹茧症治疗中的安全性和有效性。 方法回顾性分析2016年1月至2019年11月期间在上海交通大学医学院附属第九人民医院就诊共计13例接受外科手术的腹茧症患者的临床资料。 结果13例患者的外科手术均顺利完成,其中8例腹腔镜手术、5例传统手术。所有患者因肠梗阻症状而就诊,均进行茧膜切除及肠粘连松解术。由于既往腹部手术史,5例采用传统手术方式。相较于传统手术,腹腔镜手术组的术中出血量减少[(116.3 ± 14.0)ml比(180.6 ± 24.9)ml,P< 0.05],手术时间缩短[(99.3 ± 8.7)min比(130.6 ± 7.5)min,P<0.05]。腹腔镜组与传统手术组分别出现4例、3例术后并发症(P> 0.05);术后肠梗阻分别3例、2例(P>0.05);术后住院时间(11.4 ± 3.5)d和(13.4 ± 5.2)d(P> 0.05)。13例患者术后病理均提示纤维性包膜。 结论腹腔镜手术对于既往无腹部手术史腹茧症治疗是安全、有效的。     

Prolonged Postoperative Ileus—Definition, Risk Factors, and Predictors after Surgery

BACKGROUND: Postoperative ileus (POI) remains an inevitable consequence of abdominal surgery. Although the pathogenesis of delayed gastrointestinal transit in the postoperative period has been the subject of considerable study, a clinically useful definition of what constitutes a pathologically prolonged ileus has yet to be established. The objectives of this study were to describe a definition for an abnormally prolonged ileus and to identify risk factors and predictors of prolonged ileus in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Over a 12-month period 88 patients who had abdominal surgery were retrospectively reviewed. The association of clinical factors with the duration of POI was examined with statistical tests. RESULTS: The mean time to commencing the consumption of unrestricted clear fluids after surgery was 2.3 +/- SD 1.6 days. The median duration of POI was 5 days (median 6 days), with an interquartile range of 3-6 days. Univariate regression analysis demonstrated significant correlations between duration of POI and estimated blood loss (EBL), total surgical time, and total opiate dose (TOD) (p = 0.009, p = 0.045, and p = 0.041, respectively). Multiple regression analysis identified EBL and TOD as independent predictors of duration of POI. CONCLUSIONS: We have identified two risk factors (EBL and TOD) that are independently associated with duration of POI. Our data suggest that with the definition of abnormal prolonged postoperative ileus as the number of days above the 3rd quartile, an ileus greater than 6 days serves as a better clinical definition of prolonged POI than 3 days, the measure that has previously been suggested.     

Pharmacological management of postoperative ileus

The duration of postoperative ileus following abdominal surgery is quite variable, and prolonged postoperative ileus is an iatrogenic phenomenon with important influence on patient morbidity, hospital costs and length of stay in hospital. Adequate treatment for prolonged postoperative ileus is important to improve patient morbidity and clinical efficiency. Both clinical and pharmacological management strategies have improved rapidly over the last decade, and appropriate and timely management using multimodal techniques should be used for optimal care. In this review, we define postoperative ileus, describe the pathogenesis and briefly discuss clinical management before detailing potential pharmacologic management options.     

Acute pseudo-obstruction of the colon

Fourteen patients with acute pseudo-obstruction of the colon (Ogilvie's syndrome) were treated over a 16-year period. Ten patients (71.4%) had a recent history of mental illness and were treated with hypnotic and sedative drugs uninterruptedly for many months. The clinical picture and abdominal radiographs on admission to hospital were typical of acute mechanical obstruction of the colon; 1 patient had a perforation of the transverse colon. Obstruction was ruled out by barium enema in 9 patients, by colonoscopy in 3 and by immediate laparotomy in 2. Twelve patients were treated conservatively by nasogastric tube, correction of fluid and electrolyte imbalance, enemas, cessation of all hypnotic and sedative drugs, and decompression of the colon using a rigid rectoscope and rectal tube. There were no complications and no deaths. Ogilvie's syndrome should be suspected in patients with symptoms of large-bowel obstruction whose history discloses intake of hypnotic and sedative drugs. After mechanical obstruction is ruled out, conservative management is indicated. It should include cessation of all psychopharmacological agents and decompression of the colon by rectal intubation or colonoscopy. If conservative measures fail and the caecum increases in size, operative decompression by transverse colostomy rather than cecostomy is indicated.     

Ogilvie's syndrome developing after ethanol ablation of renal cell carcinoma

Urological procedures frequently are implicated as a cause of Ogilvie's syndrome. We report the first case of Ogilvie's syndrome following ethanol ablation of a renal cell carcinoma. The urologist must be alert to the development of this complication. If recognized early and managed correctly long-term morbidity from this complication is minimal.