Percutaneous cecostomy as access for small-bowel endoscopy

Therapeutic utility of percutaneous cecostomy in adults: an updated systematic review

Objective

Percutaneous cecostomy is a minimally invasive procedure that provides access to the colon for therapeutic interventions. This review aimed to update and summarize the existing information on the use and application of percutaneous endoscopic cecostomy in the field of therapeutic gastroenterology.

Data Sources

A systematic review of the literature was performed without any restrictions on the year of publication from the date of inception in 1986 to January 2021.

Methods

The review was performed using the medical subject heading keywords in the following search engines: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Google Scholar.

Results

A total of 29 articles were subjected to final data extraction. The review included a total of 174 patients who underwent percutaneous cecostomy. Most of the included studies were conducted in the United States (n = 14). The most common comorbidity was cancer (n = 10) and the major indication for performing percutaneous cecostomy was colonic pseudo-obstruction or Ogilvie's syndrome (n = 15). The main technique for performing percutaneous cecostomy was endoscopy (17 studies), followed by fluoroscopy- (five studies), computed-tomography- (three studies), laparoscopy- (two studies), and ultrasound- (one study) guided procedures. The procedure was technically successful in 153 (88%) cases. The total cumulative rates of major and minor complications were 47.5%. These complications included tube malfunction, local wound site infections, and bleeding and rare complications of peritonitis and death.

Conclusion

Percutaneous cecostomy is a safe and effective option for managing acute colonic pseudo-obstruction. It leads to durable symptom relief with low to minimal risk.

Palliation of malignant bowel obstruction using a percutaneous cecostomy

Bowel obstruction is a common complication of metastatic gastrointestinal and ovarian cancers, and can cause distressing symptoms. Along with medical options, surgical options should be considered in all patients with bowel obstruction, including percutaneous gastrostomy. We report the case of a patient with metastatic colon cancer with an obstructing recurrence at the primary site who was not eligible for major surgery or percutaneous gastrostomy and was managed with a percutaneous cecostomy for symptom control.

Placement of a colonic stent by percutaneous colostomy in a case of malignant stenosis

We present a patient with disseminated stomach cancer who presented with symptoms of acute obstruction of the splenic flexure of the colon caused by tumor spread. During a first attempt to insert a colon stent through the anus under endoscopic guidance as final palliative therapy, it was not possible to reach the region of the stricture, and iatrogenic perforation of the descending colon occurred, which resolved favorably under conservative management. A second attempt to insert a stent was made via percutaneous puncture of the transverse colon, approaching the region of the stricture by a descending route. The procedure was completed without complications and the patient's symptoms improved. Stent placement via percutaneous puncture of the colon has not previously been described in the literature. It may be an alternate route in cases of proximal strictures in which access through the anus has been unsuccessful even with the aid of endoscopic guidance.