ReviewWorld journal of emergency surgery : WJES2026
Dogma, data, and decision-making: a history of treatment for small-bowel obstruction.
Review in World journal of emergency surgery : WJES, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Indocyanine green fluorescence angiography in mechanical bowel obstruction: impact on intraoperative decision-making and clinical guidance-a systematic review.Surgical endoscopy · 2026Pooled it
- Adhesive small bowel obstruction in the virgin abdomen: comparable phenotype, divergent management.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMechanical small-bowel obstruction (SBO) has been recognized since antiquity. We systematically review the evolution of its diagnosis and treatment, with emphasis on surgical milestones, influential surgeons, and procedural advances alongside the development of imaging and non-operative therapy.
methodsWe searched primary historical texts, monographs, and PubMed-indexed articles (inception to July 2025) for descriptions of mechanical SBO management. Data on key innovations, figures, outcomes, and global knowledge sharing were extracted and chronologically synthesized. Narrative synthesis followed SANRA criteria for scholarly reviews with emphasis on clarity of scope, critical interpretation, and structured presentation of key developments.
resultsEarly sources solely describe non-surgical measures. In one of the first invasive interventions, Praxagoras of Cos (circa 350 BCE) reportedly advocated for surgical intervention in cases of intestinal obstruction, describing a decompressive enterocutaneous fistula as a therapeutic measure when purgation failed. Operative release of strangulated hernia was re-introduced by Ambroise Paré in the sixteenth century. Ether anesthesia (1846) and antisepsis (1867) enabled safe laparotomy; shortly thereafter, Sir Frederick Treves formalized the core operative principles in 1884. Plain abdominal radiography (1900s) improved diagnosis while Owen Wangensteen's nasogastric suction (1931) reduced mortality from > 60% to ~ 5%. Antibiotics, intravenous fluids, and stapled anastomoses further enhanced outcomes. Computed tomography (1980s) became the diagnostic gold standard, guiding selective non-operative management with enteral decompression and hyperosmolar contrast administration. Minimally invasive adhesiolysis, first embarked upon in the 1990s, now benefits carefully selected patients.
conclusionsMechanical SBO care has evolved from basic supportive measures to structured, evidence-based therapy. Each advance addressed a specific clinical barrier: anesthesia enabled laparotomy, radiography enabled diagnosis, and decompression enabled non-operative management. As a result, SBO now exemplifies how iterative innovation can transform a once highly morbid emergency into a condition amenable to algorithmic, protocol-driven care. This historical arc offers instructive parallels for current surgical challenges.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.