title: New technique for enterostomy of extremely low-birth-weight infants--intestinal anchoring with gauze.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In enterostomy for extremely low-birth-weight infants (<1000 g), the technique of anchoring the intestine for a stoma to the abdominal wall is very difficult because of the small size and fragile nature of the intestine. Here we describe a novel technique for intestinal anchoring in such infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  In our approach to enterostomy, the intestine is anchored only by a strip of gauze packed into the subcutaneous space. No suturing is performed. The efficacy of this technique was evaluated in 21 infants with less than 1000 g of body weight who have intestinal perforation or obstruction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two patients (9.5%) had complications that were related to the enterostomy. The complications were parastomal and intrastomal intestinal prolapse, both of which were treated successfully by reoperation. Eighteen patients (86%) survived to closure of the enterostoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intestinal anchoring with gauze is an easy and effective technique for enterostomy in extremely low-birth-weight infants and can be applied in selected cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology and Regulation of Organ Function, Miyazaki University School of Medicine, Miyazaki 889-1692, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chijiiwa
authors.forename: Motoi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mukai
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwamura
authors.forename: Hiromitsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Masatoki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sameshima
authors.forename: Tsuyomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikenoue
mesh_terms: D004766:Enterostomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D052577:Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male