Laparoscopic stoma formation.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic stoma formation has gained wide acceptance as an alternative to open abdominal surgery. Although laparoscopic stoma formation has a low morbidity, complications have been reported. Contributing factors to these complications are twisting of the bowel, maturing the wrong limb, or both of these. In this report, we describe a simple technique that can reduce these complications.
METHODS: The bowel segment to be exteriorized is grasped with a locking nontraumatic, nonrotating grasper. After the orientation of the bowel is verified, the surgeon ties the handle of the instrument to the trocar by using a cotton umbilical tape. The trocar and the instrument become one working unit, and if the umbilical tape is wrapped around the shaft of the instrument, then the bowel is twisted. It is easy to untwist it by aligning the umbilical tape with the shaft of the instrument. To mature the stoma, the umbilical tape is removed and the grasper is unlocked.
CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic stoma is an effective treatment for several benign and malignant disorders, and in general has a low morbidity. Our report describes a simple technique that can reduce the rare but significant postoperative stoma or small bowel obstruction.

INTRODUCTION

Fecal diversion remains an effective option to treat a variety of gastrointestinal and abdominal conditions. Inoperable metastatic or recurrent colorectal and pelvic malignancies can be palliated by a stoma. Temporary or permanent intestinal stomas are routinely used in the treatment of distal rectal and anal carcinoma. Furthermore, numerous benign disorders, such as Crohn's disease, anorectal fistulae, fecal incontinence, traumatic injuries, pelvic sepsis, and radiation proctitis, can be successfully managed with fecal diversion.

Over the last decade, laparoscopic stoma formation has gained wide acceptance as an alternative to open abdominal surgery.[1-13] Several techniques have been described including the 2- and 3-trocar approaches,[3,4,7,8] and the no-trocar laparoscopic stoma creation.[10] Overall, laparoscopic stoma formation has a low morbidity.[1-13] However, stoma and small bowel obstruction have been reported.[5-7,10,11] Two of the contributing factors to these complications are twisting of the bowel, maturing the wrong limb, or both occurring together.[5,6,10] In this report, we describe a simple technique that can reduce these complications.

METHODS

The following technique can be used to orient and mature an end or loop ileostomy or colostomy. When the surgeon is ready to establish the stoma, the segment of bowel to be exteriorized is grasped with a locking nontraumatic, nonrotating grasper, such as a Babcock or any bowel clamp. The orientation of the bowel is verified under direct camera visualization by checking the proximal and distal aspect of the segment and inspecting the corresponding mesentery to ensure that it is not twisted. The assistant holds the grasper steady while the surgeon ties the handle of the instrument to the trocar using a cotton umbilical tape [0.32 × 60 cm] (. By doing so, the trocar and the instrument become one working unit, ensuring that while the segment of bowel is in the proper position, the umbilical tape is parallel to the shaft of the instrument. Once the stoma subcutaneous and musculofascial trephine is created, the bowel is exteriorized. The surgeon checks again to certify the proper orientation of the bowel. If the umbilical tape is wrapped around the shaft of the instrument ( then the bowel is twisted. It is easy to untwist it by again aligning the umbilical tape with the shaft of the instrument. When the surgeon is ready to mature the stoma in the proper position, the umbilical tape is removed and the grasper is unlocked. If an end stoma is created, the bowel is divided while the proximal limb is held with the grasper. Once the distal limb is buried subcutaneously, the clamp and umbilical tape are removed and the proximal limb is fashioned as the stoma.

Umbilical tape parallel to the shaft of the instrument corresponds to proper orientation of grasped bowel.

Umbilical tape wrapped around the shaft of the instrument indicates twisting of the grasped bowel internally.

DISCUSSION

Laparoscopic stoma formation is widely used when fecal diversion is necessary to treat or palliate benign and malignant gastrointestinal and abdominal conditions. When compared with open techniques, the laparoscopic approach carries several potential advantages including earlier return to bowel function, less pain, less morbidity, and shorter hospital stay.[2,7,8,10] The overall morbidity of laparoscopic stoma creation is low, but complications, such as stoma or small bowel obstruction, can be significant.[5,7,9,10,11] Early postoperative blockage of the stoma or small bowel is often related to intraoperative events like twisting of the bowel as it is brought out through the abdominal wall or maturing the wrong limb of the bowel in the case of end stoma.[5,6,10] Contributing factors leading to such complications include obesity, a redundant colon, or using small bowel with its free mesentery that can easily twist. Several techniques are available to avoid twisting of the bowel or maturing the wrong limb of the stoma. Intracorporeal marking of the proximal and distal limb of bowel with clips or sutures of different colors can be helpful for proper identification of the bowel once exteriorized.[5,7] In the case of an end stoma, intracorporeal transection of the bowel and grasping the proximal end prior to creating the stoma trephine is another approach. For descending or sigmoid colostomy, an intraoperative sigmoidoscopy with either a rigid or flexible scope can verify the proximal and distal end of the bowel. Intraabdominal inspection and visualization of the bowel with the camera can be performed after the stoma is matured, but this is not an option with the 2-trocar technique. Although all these steps are effective, they do contribute to additional operative time as with the case of intracorporeal suturing and sigmoidoscopy, or the added cost of a clip applier or stapler. In these regards, our described method has advantages because of the minimal associated time or cost. It is safe, easy to teach, and can be used in the formation of an end and loop ileostomy or colostomy. We feel that this technique will be a useful addition to the armamentarium of minimally invasive surgeons.

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic ileostomy and colostomy is an effective treatment for several benign and malignant disorders and in general carries low morbidity. Our report describes a simple technique that can reduce the rare but significant postoperative stoma or small bowel obstruction.