Surgery for a blocked bowel (bowel obstruction)

Sometimes bowel cancer grows and completely blocks the bowel. This is called a bowel obstruction. Waste matter cannot pass through the blocked bowel easily, and may cause:

• bloating and abdominal pain
• constipation
• nausea and vomiting.

Sometimes the obstruction is found and cleared during the surgery to remove the cancer. In other cases, you will need emergency surgery to clear the blockage.

If a section of the bowel needs to be removed, it may be possible to rejoin the bowel during the surgery, but some people may need a stoma. Sometimes a stoma is made before or “upstream” from the obstruction to relieve the blockage and allow time for staging scans of the cancer or chemoradiation before surgery.

Having a stent

If only one area of the bowel is blocked or you are not fit enough for major bowel surgery, you may have a small hollow tube (stent) put in to help keep the bowel open and relieve symptoms. A stent may be permanent, or it can be used to help manage the blockage until you are fit enough to have a colectomy or resection. The stent is inserted through the rectum using a colonoscope.

Preventing bowel blockages

A dietitian or your surgeon or stomal therapist may suggest you take a stool softener or add more fluid to your diet to help food or waste pass through the blockage or stent more easily. Other people may be advised to eat low-fibre foods. Talk to a dietitian about suitable foods for your situation.

If you are unable to have bowel surgery or a stent, you may be given medicine to help control the symptoms of a bowel obstruction.

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