Salvage repair of anastomotic dehiscence following colon surgery using an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft

• Published in: Techniques in coloproctology Vol. 16; no. 2; pp. 169 - 173
• Main Authors: Uzun, M. A., Koksal, N., Ozkan, O. F., Kayahan, M., Gumrukcu, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Milan Springer Milan 01.04.2012; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abdominal Surgery; Aged; Anastomosis, Surgical - adverse effects; Anastomotic Leak - surgery; Case Report; Colon - surgery; Colorectal Surgery; Female; Gastroenterology; Humans; Ileum - surgery; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Polytetrafluoroethylene; Proctology; Prostheses and Implants; Reoperation; Salvage Therapy - methods; Surgery; Polytetrafluoroethylene; Salvage repair; Colon
• ISSN: 1123-6337; 1128-045X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10151-010-0638-4

Anastomotic dehiscence is a serious complication of colorectal surgery that causes death in up to 40% of cases in which it occurs. Edema and inflammation due to abdominal sepsis can prevent the use of standard management (i.e., colostomy, ileostomy or Hartmann’s procedure), in which case alternative salvage repair methods are required. The present report describes the treatment of a 73-year-old female patient at high risk of mortality because of intraabdominal sepsis due to suture dehiscence following a right hemicolectomy and ileo-transversostomy. Several surgical repair procedures were tried, but all failed. We then used an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) graft in salvage repair, and this approach proved successful. This is the first report to describe clinical, macroscopic and histopathological findings, following use of an ePTFE graft in colorectal repair in humans.