title: Restoration of intestinal continuity after colectomy for non-occlusive ischemic colitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-occlusive ischemic colitis (IC) is a rare and life-threatening abdominal disease associated with high rates of postoperative mortality. When surgery is performed, in patients with IC, either a Hartmann's procedure (HP) or a total colectomy and ileostomy is required. The possibility of restoration of intestinal continuity in surviving patients is an important issue. The aim of the present study was to report the outcome of surgically managed IC patients and to identify predictive factors for restoration of intestinal continuity and to assess the results of this procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 1997 and May 2011, 96 IC patients underwent total colectomy and 68 underwent left colectomy. IC was spontaneous in 62 patients and occurred after prior surgery in 102. Eighty patients died during the postoperative period and nine died during the follow-up from an unrelated disease. Fifteen patients were lost to follow-up. The remaining 60 surviving patients were our study population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 44 men and 16 women with a mean age of 67 years ± 12 SD. Restoration of bowel continuity was performed in 24 patients (40%). There were no predictive factors for restoration of intestinal continuity in terms of sex, age, IC etiology, and the extent of colon resection at primary surgery. The median interval between first surgery and restoration of bowel continuity was 7.9 months (range 0.2-35 months). There were no postoperative deaths and the overall morbidity rate was 45% (11/24). No patients developed anastomotic leak or underwent unplanned reoperation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reversal of HP after IC is feasible in 40% of surviving patients with acceptable mortality and morbidity rates. This restoration of intestinal continuity should therefore be discussed for every surviving IC patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive and Endocrine Surgery, AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, Pierre and Marie Curie University (Paris VI), 47-83 Boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France, a.mariani@hotmail.fr.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moszkowicz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trésallet
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Koskas
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chiche
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lupinacci
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Menegaux
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003082:Colectomy / Q000379:methods*; D017091:Colitis, Ischemic / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D003125:Colostomy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007082:Ileum / Q000601:surgery; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012007:Rectum / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome