Houston area surgeon publishes results of stent use in colon blockages, improving patient survival rates and decreasing surgical risks. The minimally invasive procedure also decreases hospital stays and costs.

Houston, TX (PRWEB) December 4, 2007 -- Colorectal cancer patients can benefit from a minimally invasive endoscopic stent procedure that reduces their hospital stay and reduces the future risk of several surgeries, according to a medical journal article published by a Houston surgeon in October of this year.

A non-surgical alternative for colon obstruction was reported as beneficial for patient care and hospital costs in the October issue of Contemporary Surgery by colorectal surgeon Eric M. Haas, MD, of Colorectal Surgery Associates in Houston.

"Colorectal cancer patients often have colon obstructions that cause emergency health problems," according to Dr. Haas, "The patient can have a variety of life-threatening health problems and emergency surgery often carries high morbidity and mortality. We studied a variety of 

non-surgical alternatives to managing colon blockages and found stent (SEMS) implantation with a minimally invasive approach to be the best alternative for the patient."

Without immediate treatment, patients can suffer from a variety of side effects which carry high health risks. According to the published results, stenting procedures benefit the patient with lowered hospital costs, shorter hospitalizations, fewer operations, lower anesthesia costs and a shorter ICU stay.

Both colorectal surgeons and gastroenterologists utilize endoscopy to place the stents. Endoscopy is a minimally invasive medical procedure that allows a surgeon to look inside the human body with a flexible tube called an endoscope. The procedure allows the surgeon to see through the body's passageways and uses a fiber optics system that provides images which can be recorded.

In the stenting procedure, the endoscope can pass through the colon obstruction and help identify the location and extent of the problem. "These new procedures assist surgeons in pinpointing the exact location of lesions and tumors, providing a less invasive approach and faster recovery for the patient," according to Dr. Haas.
 Download this Contemporary Surgery Article