The material in this report is based on 381 cases of intestinal obstructions which were treated
surgically at the Woo Sok University Medical College Hospital during 10 years from July 1, 1960
to June 30, 1970.
1) The majority of the patients ranged two to four decades of life(30.4%); the youngest 1 day
old and oldest 76 years of age. The 42.9% of 381 cases were included in the 0∼1 year and 41∼60
years old group. The sex ratio of two for men to one for women.
2) Among common causes obstruction were intussusception(27.6%), external hernia(24.9%) and
postoperative adhesion(17.6%).
3) The cardinal symptoms and signs were abdominal pain in 81.6%, vomiting in 71.4% and
abdominal distention in 64.0%. The incidence of bowel necrosis was 12.6% which is not much
different from 10∼15% of incidence reported in the various literatures.
4) As for the operative fashion; 274 cases (71.9%)were treated by operative release of obstruction
with operative decompression, 69 cases(18%) by primary intestinal resection.
5) The mortality was 11.8% (45cases). The most frequent cause of the death was electrolyte
imbalance (12 cases, 26.7%). In spite of general improvement in surgical technique there still
remains high mortality rate in intestinal obstruction. The author believe hemodynamic and meta
bolic changes in strangulated obstruction should be more investigated in the future. For the time
being the best wat to handle those cases rest on, it seemed, early diagnosis and early surgical
intervention.
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