What Researchers Did
Researchers retrospectively reviewed the charts of 12 patients who underwent elective reoperation after previously being treated with the open abdomen technique for diffuse peritonitis.
What They Found
Among the 12 patients, reoperations were performed a mean of nine months after discharge, primarily for closure of enteric fistulas (5 patients) or ostomies (7 patients). All patients survived, and the abdominal wall was reconstructed in nine patients, with five complications reported, including ischemic skin grafts/flaps (4 patients) and a low output fistula (1 patient).
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients who have previously undergone open abdomen treatment should know that subsequent elective reoperations are feasible and generally safe. This suggests that concerns about a "hostile abdomen" after such treatment may not preclude necessary future surgical interventions to restore bowel continuity or close fistulas.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was conducted in the United States and published in an American journal.
Study Limitations
A significant limitation of this study is its retrospective design and very small sample size of only 12 patients, which limits the generalizability of the findings.