Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Tech Coloproctol DOI 10.1007/s10151-017-1712-y TRICK OF THE TRADE Endoscopic placement of a covered stent to arrest bleeding from obstructing colorectal cancer A. Lamazza 1  · E. Fiori 1  · A. V. Sterpetti 1,2   Received: 19 May 2017 / Accepted: 19 September 2017 © Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2017 Introduction Endoscopic stenting has become a useful tool to treat patients with malignant left-sided colorectal obstruction [1–5]. Covered self-expandable metal stents might represent a valid adjunctive to arrest hemorrhage in patients with obstructing, bleeding colorectal cancer, in whom the usual techniques have failed. In our center, in the last 16 years more than 160 patients were treated with self-expandable metal stents to relieve malignant colorectal obstruction. Eight patients with malignant colorectal obstruction had placement of a covered self-expandable metal stent to arrest a residual hemorrhage, after treatment with Argon laser. They represent the basis of this report (Research Registry No. 1103). Surgical technique Eight patients [4 males, 4 females, mean age 74 years (range 64–86 years)] were seen in the Emergency Department with lower gastrointestinal bleeding from colorectal cancer. In 4 patients, the cancer was located in the upper rectum and in the other 4 just above the rectosigmoid junction. Computed tomography scan showed unresectable liver metastases in * A. V. Sterpetti antonio.sterpetti@uniroma1.it 1 Department of Surgery “Pietro Valdoni”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy 2 Policlinico Umberto I, Viale del Policlinico, 00167 Rome, Italy Fig. 1 Drawings showing the use of a pediatric nasogastroscope to place a stent