Progressive Abdominal Distension in Surgery — 72yo Man | General Surgery | SMLE Q#1372
SMLE Question #1372
Surgery
General Surgery
Objective: OBJ-TRACH-EMERG-01
Last updated: February 2026
A 72-year-old man is admitted with progressive abdominal distension, constipation, and colicky lower abdominal pain. He has no guarding or rebound. Symptoms improve with IV fluids and nasogastric decompression. Flexible sigmoidoscopy shows a stenosing sigmoid mass, and biopsy confirms adenocarcinoma. The surgical team plans definitive resection and wants to evaluate the rest of the colon and rectum preoperatively to guide the operative approach. What is the most appropriate next step in management?
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