Palliative Laparoscopic End Colostomy in a Nonagenarian

BACKGROUND: Patients with advanced gynecologic malignancy often require fecal diversion as a sole procedure in cases of obstruction or fistula formation. This unique patient population has a frequent history of advanced age, prior abdominal surgery, pelvic radiation, poor nutritional status and medical comorbidities. The use of laparoscopic colostomy for palliative fecal diversion in this context has not been well described in the gynecologic oncology literature. CASE: We present the first case of palliative laparoscopic end-colostomy in a nonagenarian as a sole procedure for fecal diversion in advanced gynecologic malignancy. CONCLUSION: Palliative laparoscopic end-colostomy is a safe, feasible, and effective method to optimize quality of life in select elderly women with advanced gynecologic malignancy.