DISEASES AND SURGERY OF THE LARGE COLON

Displacements and intraluminal obstructions of the large colon carry a good to excellent prognosis for long-term recovery, andsurgery for th ese diseases is rarely followed by short-term or long-term complicatio ns. Entrapment of the large colon over the renosplenic ligament is ame nable to medical therapies so that surgery can be avoided in many case s. However, preoperative diagnosis of all nonstrangulating diseases of the large colon can be difficult. Vascular diseases of the large colo n, such as thromboembolic diseases and large colon volvulus, are more difficult to treat and carry a poorer prognosis for survival.