We obtained long-term follow-up (3–13 years) on a group of 143 patients with adhesive small bowel obstruction. This represented 50% of a group of 288 patients treated by either conservative tube management or operative enterolysis. The incidence of recurrent obstruction in operative versus nonoperative patients is not statistically different. We challenge the frequently stated opinion that conservative resolution of adhesive small bowel obstruction results in a prohibitive incidence of recurrent obstruction. To substantiate this view and our previous suggestion that tube management of adhesive small bowel obstruction should be tried in many patients with this disease, a prospective randomized study of the problem is now in progress.

No abstract

Acute appendicitis is rarely the initial presentation of carcinoma of the cecum in elderly patients. A 20-year retrospective review of all patients 65 years of age or older presenting with proven acute appendicitis at the Montefiore Medical Center confirms this opinion. In only 1.8% of patients was acute appendicitis the initial presentation of an underlying carcinoma of the cecum.

\s=b\We have reviewed the medical records of ten patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome who required emergency celiotomy in a three-year period. These