Objective: To investigate the emergency therapeutic strategy for sigmoid vovulus in the elderly.
Methods: Clinical data of 14 elderly patients with sigmoid vovulus were analyzed retrospectively.
Results: The mean age was(79.1±7.2) years(range, 70-93), and 11 patients (78.6%) were male. Emergency decompression and restoration with colonoscopy was performed in all the patients with a success rate of 100%. No patient required emergent surgery. Four patients(28.6%) recurred and they were managed well by repeat colonoscopic restoration.
Conclusion: Emergency colonoscopic restoration is the first treatment of choice for sigmoid vovulus in the elderly because it is safe and effective, and can be performed repeatedly.