A pilot study on the role of T-tube in typhoid ileal perforation in children

Typhoid intestinal perforation in developing countries: Still unavoidable deaths?

Typhoid fever is a public health challenge mostly concentrated in impoverished, overcrowded areas of the developing world, with lack of safe drinking and sanitation. The most serious complication is typhoid intestinal perforation (TIP), observed in 0.8% to 39%, with a striking rate difference between high-income and low-middle-income countries. Although the mortality rate consequent to TIP in resource-poor countries is improved in the last decades, it is still fluctuating from 5% to 80%, due to surgical- and not surgical-related constraints. Huge economic costs and long timelines are required to provide a short- to middle-term solution to the lack of safe water and sanitation. Inherent limitations of the currently available diagnostic tools may lead to under-evaluation as well as over-evaluation of the disease, with consequent delayed treatment or inappropriate, excessive antibiotic use, hence increasing the likelihood of bacterial resistance. There is a need for immunization programs in populations at greatest risk, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Uniform surgical strategies and guidelines, on the basis of sound or prospective surgical studies and adapted to the local realities, are still lacking. Major drawbacks of the surgical treatment are the frequent delays to surgery, either for late diagnosis or for difficult transports, and the unavailable appropriate intensive care units in most peripheral facilities. As a consequence, poor patient’s conditions at presentation, severe peritoneal contamination and unsuitable postoperative care are the foremost determinant of surgical morbidity and mortality.

Protection of low rectal anastomosis with a new tube ileostomy using a biofragmentable anastomosis ring: A retrospective study

A temporarily defunctioning stoma, while effective at reducing symptomatic anastomotic leakage after low anterior resection (LAR) of rectal cancer, and its subsequent closure, is associated with significant morbidity. Here, we devised a new tube ileostomy using a biofragmentable anastomosis ring (TIB) with no need for reversal.This is a retrospective cohort study. From June 2011 to March 2015, TIBs were performed on 31 consecutive patients with mid- or low-rectal cancer who underwent elective laparoscopic LARs. From January 2008 to May 2011, 25 similarly diseased patients underwent elective laparoscopic LARs and conventional loop ileostomy (LI) and were included as controls. All of the anastomotic sites were within 6 cm of the anal verge. Demographic, clinical feature, and operative data were recorded.The demographic features of both groups were similar. The TIB mean surgical duration was significantly lower than in the LI group (215 ± 28 vs 245 ± 54 min, P = 0.010). Because of readmission for stoma closure, the total hospital stay of the LI group was longer than that of the TIB group (38.1 ± 26.5 vs 19.1 ± 7.9 days, respectively, P = 0.002). Ileal content was completely diverted by TIB for 13.7 ± 2.1 (range, 10-19) days postoperatively. The drainage tube was removed on postoperative day 27.8 ± 6.9 (range, 20-44), and the mean continued duration of the discharge tract, before fistula healing, was 4.5 ± 1.9 (range, 2-10) days. Postoperative complications of the 2 modalities were not significant. In the TIB group, 1 rectovaginal fistula occurred 30 days postsurgery. In the LI group, 1 rectovaginal fistula occurred 3 months after stoma closure. Both complications were treated with transverse colostomy. No major TIB associated complications were observed in the present study.TIB is a safe, feasible, effective, but time-limited diversion technique, which may reduce symptomatic anastomosis leakage after LAR for rectal cancer.

Intestinal perforation management using T-tube drainage

In cases of small bowel perforation with gross contamination, enterostomy has traditionally been the treatment of choice. An 86-year-old woman was diagnosed with perforative peritonitis. Emergency laparotomy revealed a small bowel perforation with gross contamination, and a T-tube enterostomy was performed. The T-tube was used for intestinal decompression for the first few days and was then accompanied by enteral feeding. When oral intake was sufficient, the T-tube was removed. The abdominal wall’s fistula healed within 2 days of removal. Except for wound infection, the patient developed no postoperative complications. Under specific circumstances, a T-tube enterostomy can be an effective alternative for a traditional enterostomy. Its advantages include less or no anastomotic leakage, easier management of fluid and electrolyte levels, postoperative enteral feeding from the tube, a shorter operative time and no need for a second operation to close the stoma.