Enterostomy complications in infancy and childhood.
BACKGROUND
A number of severe gastrointestinal disorders in infancy and childhood may require the formation of an enterostomy as a crucial part of the treatment of the disease itself. This study reviews our pediatric patients with regard to the morbidity and mortality of enterostomy formation and closure over an 8-year period.


METHODS
Sixty-eight enterostomies in infants and children and 60 consecutive enterostomy closures in retrospect are reported on. This includes colostomies, jejunostomies, ileostomies, and Mikulicz procedures.


RESULTS
In most instances, a transverse colostomy was performed. The most frequent indications were intestinal obstruction and necrotizing enterocolitis. More than half of the children were less than 1 month of age at the time of surgery. We observed an overall complication rate of 38.2% following enterostomy formation, with stoma prolapse being the most common, but faced major complications (such as sepsis, peritonitis, and enterocutaneous fistula) in only 10.3%. Complications after enterostomy closure were encountered in 20%. The overall mortality was 7%.


CONCLUSIONS
Enterostomy formation and closure in the pediatric age group with severe underlying disease is still associated with substantial morbidity.
Steinau
G
G
Department of Surgery, University Hospital of Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
Ruhl
K M
KM
Hörnchen
H
H
Schumpelick
V
V
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004766:Enterostomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies