title: Protective ileostomy: complications and mortality associated with its closure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  diverting loop ileostomies are widely used in colorectal surgery to protect low rectal anastomoses. However, they may have various complications, among which are those associated with the subsequent stoma closure. The present study analyses our experience in a series of patients undergoing closure of loop ileostomies.
  
  
  METHODS
  retrospective study of all the patients undergoing ileostomy closure at our hospital between 2006-2010. There were 89 patients: 56 males (63%) and 33 females (37%) with a mean age of 55 (38-71) years. The most common indication for ileostomy was protection of a low rectal anastomosis, 81 patients (91%). The waiting time until stoma closure, type and frequency of the complications, length of hospital stay and mortality rate are analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  waiting time before surgery was 8 (1-25) months. Forty-one patients (45,9%) developed some type of complication, three were reoperated (3.37%) and one patient died (1.12%). The most important complications were intestinal obstruction (32.6%), diarrhoea(6%), surgical wound infection (6%), enterocutaneous fistula (4.5%), rectorrhagia (3.4%) and anastomotic leak (1.12%). The mean length of patient stay was 7.54 (2-23) days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  protective ostomies in low rectal anastomoses have proved to be the only preventive measure for reducing the morbidity and mortality rates for anastomotic leakage. However, creation means subsequent closure, which must not be considered a minor procedure but an operation with possibly significant complications, including death, as has been shown in publications on the subject and in our own series.
authors: Department of General Surgery and Digestive Diseases, School of Medicine, Universidad de Murcia, Spain. mmengual@msn.com
authors: Mónica
authors: M
authors: Mengual-Ballester
authors: José Andrés
authors: JA
authors: García-Marín
authors: Enrique
authors: E
authors: Pellicer-Franco
authors: María Pilar
authors: MP
authors: Guillén-Paredes
authors: María Luisa
authors: ML
authors: García-García
authors: María José
authors: MJ
authors: Cases-Baldó
authors: José Luis
authors: JL
authors: Aguayo-Albasini
mesh_terms: D058107:Abdominal Wound Closure Techniques; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D057868:Anastomotic Leak / Q000517:prevention & control; D003082:Colectomy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007081:Ileostomy; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D016737:Proctocolectomy, Restorative; D012007:Rectum / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies