Motility changes associated with large bowel obstruction and its surgical relief.

Strain gauges and electrodes to detect intestinal motility were attached to the terminal ileum, right and left sides of the colon in Rhesus monkeys. Baseline recordings were made. An obstruction device was applied to the left colon at a laparotomy. Compromise of the bowel lumen leading to total obstruction occurred at 13 +/- 2 days. As obstruction progressed, contractions decreased in the terminal ileum and right colon but increased in the left colon proximal to the obstruction. Distention wave forms increased in the colon proximal to the obstruction. Visible intestinal movement, borborygmi and signs suggesting colic were accompanied by a motility phenomenon, simultaneous mass actions, not seen in normal unobstructed bowel. The obstructed segment was resected and an anastomosis made. The motility recordings revealed that postoperative ileus persisted for less than 48 hours and motility returned to normal significantly earlier than after a control laparotomy.