Postoperative peritonitis due to gastric and duodenal fistulas. Operative management by continuous intraluminal infusion and aspiration: report of 23 cases.

A new surgical procedure is presented for the management of postoperative peritonitis due to a leak from a suture line in the stomach or the duodenum. At re-operation, an intraluminal unit made of three silicone tubes is inserted through the fistula into the bowel lumen. Extraluminal drains are placed near the fistula. A Witzel jejunostomy is constructed in order to provide continuous high energy enteral support. Intraluminal infusion and aspiration starts immediately after operation. Twenty-three patients have been treated according to this technique. Five died (22 per cent): one from mediastinitis and four from complications unrelated to the fistula. Three (13 per cent) patients developed recurrent abdominal abscesses and underwent re-operation for drainage with no mortality. In the first 2 weeks after operation, most of the discharge was collected by the extraluminal drains. Thereafter the intraluminal unit collected the majority of the fluid, thus allowing the extraluminal drains to be removed. At an average time of 27 days after operation the intraluminal unit was withdrawn. The external fistula created by this technique healed spontaneously in 15 of the 18 survivors, and was surgically closed in three, with no complication. This procedure prevents the recurrence of intra-abdominal sepsis and local complications due to the enzymatic action of the gastroduodenal secretions.