Early detection of Ogilvie syndrome as the key to successful postoperative management: A case report

Abstract

Ogilvie syndrome is a rare complication in postoperative patients, including in caesarean section. The syndrome was characterised by gastrointestinal tract obstruction without a precise mechanical cause. The lateness in diagnosis and therapy can cause intestinal perforation, leading to fatalities. This report aims to highlight that early detection and prompt multidisciplinary management are key to preventing severe complications of Ogilvie syndrome in postoperative caesarean section patients. A 35-year-old woman without any previous known medical comorbidities and with a prior caesarean section for undiagnosed placenta percreta was diagnosed with Ogilvie syndrome during the current pregnancy. Postoperatively, the patient indicated severe ileus accompanied by abdominal pain and fever, which did not improve. Within the first 24 h after the indications emerged, an interdisciplinary discussion for diagnostic confirmation was conducted, involving anaesthesia, digestive surgery, and obstetrics. Conservative management, pharmacology, and surgical decompression were performed to manage the complications. With early detection, integrated therapy, and close monitoring, Ogilvie syndrome in this patient was successfully resolved, and severe complications were prevented. The patient was subsequently discharged in stable condition.