On-table lavage to achieve safe restorative rectal and emergency left colonic resection without covering colostomy

On table orthograde colonic lavage has been used in a nearly consecutive series of 122 cases of restorative rectal resection (16 for acutely obstructing rectosigmoid lesions), and in a further 4 cases of acutely obstructing left colonic carcinoma, with the aim of both achieving safer anastomoses in these adverse circumstances and avoiding a covering colostomy. The technique was found to be safe and to be effective, only five temporary colostomies being required for management of anastomotic leakage. The incidence of clinical anastomotic leakage was 4.8 per cent.