The complications of operative treatment of small bowel obstruction we
re analyzed in 320 patients at the Carl T. Hayden Veteran's Affairs Me
dical Center. Morbidity and mortality rates increased when the lumen o
f the obstructed bowel was entered by intraoperative enterotomy or by
resection, compared with enterolysis alone for obstruction. Simple rep
air of operative injury had fewer postoperative complications than bow
el resection. When bowel resection was required, the presence of gangr
ene further increased postoperative morbidity and mortality rates.