2025/04/30 by Lucie Audeguy, Mattia Stella, D Duprez +6 · 1 voice
Medicine · #Intestinal Malrotation and Obstruction Disorders #Esophageal and GI Pathology #Pediatric Hepatobiliary Diseases and Treatments
paper · doi:10.1093/bjs/znaf085
openalex publication_date 2025/04/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Dear Editor, Sigmoid volvulus predominantly affects frail elderly patients with co-morbidities1. In the absence of perforation, emergency colonoscopy with decompression is usually the first-line treatment2. The optimal post-procedure management is debated3. Recent guidelines recommend elective sigmoidectomy to prevent recurrence, which occurs in 45–75% of cases following colonoscopic decompression alone2. Despite the guidance, some patients do not undergo definitive sigmoid colectomy. The arguments against colectomy include the perceived high risk of morbidity and because the ‘guidelines’ are based on low-quality evidence studies2. We conducted a multicentre retrospective study to identify risk factors for early recurrence of sigmoid volvulus in patients treated with colonoscopic decompression alone, with the aim of identifying those who may benefit from surgery. All consecutive patients admitted with a first (index) episode of sigmoid volvulus to our three French hospitals, between January 2010 and December 2021, were included. Detailed methodology, flow chart, and patients’ characteristics are provided in the Supplementary material, Fig. S1, and Table S1. The primary outcome was recurrence within 3 months. The study was approved by the Grenoble Institutional Review Board (MR004-HDH: F20230829144100—VOLVUCOL).