title: Loop stomas with a subcutaneously placed bridge device.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe and evaluate a new technique for supporting a loop stoma with a simple removable subcutaneous bridge device.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five patients underwent a procedure resulting in a loop stoma. Thirty patients had a loop colostomy and twenty-five a loop ileostomy. In all cases, the stoma was supported with a removable subcutaneous redivac drain fixed to the skin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no incidence of mechanical obstruction, stenosis, retraction, mucosal erosion or subcutaneous infection. Daily cleaning and care of the stoma was very simple, and the removal of the bridge device was carried out without opening the collecting bag.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our proposed technique is safe and feasible without considerable complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Hospital, 41110 Larissa, Greece.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baloyiannis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Christodoulidis
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Symeonidis
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hatzinikolaou
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spyridakis
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tepetes
mesh_terms: D004766:Enterostomy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D054047:Surgical Stomas