When a patient’s large bowel is brought out through the
abdominal wall it is called a colostomy. This colostomy is placed usually on
the left side of the abdomen. Many patients develop a bulge/hernia around this
colostomy upto 70%. These bulges results in patients’ colostomy bags not
fitting them properly, leakage and sometimes bowel obstruction needing
emergency surgery. Very expensive, very risky. These hernias can be mended
surgically but sadly the results are not so good with upto 77% recurrence of
hernias around the colostomy after surgical repair.
But what really fascinated me was that
In 1977 it was published in the journal Disease of Colon and Rectum, American surgeons found that in 106 patients they had 0% parastomal hernia rate - no parastomal hernia - when the colostomy was brought out through the umbilicus (with an overall complication rate of 3.9%). The difficulty for open surgery in current practice would be the non-availability of the umbilicus because of the mid-line incision. That was the meeting's view.
My personal view is that this is mind blowing. Given the anatomical and evolutionary fact that intake and output orifices are in the midline (including the umbilicus before we are born), it now strikes me as strange why surgeons ever thought of placing stomas away from the midline. However, with the advent of laparoscopic surgery, the umbilicus is now available for stoma placement. With a published 10% to 70% parastomal hernia rate and up to 77% recurrence of repaired parastomal hernias, the resources taken up in dealing with these are enormous; it looks like we could have a winning situation for everyone if we placed end stomas through the umbilicus. We could have dramatically better results.
In 1977 it was published in the journal Disease of Colon and Rectum, American surgeons found that in 106 patients they had 0% parastomal hernia rate - no parastomal hernia - when the colostomy was brought out through the umbilicus (with an overall complication rate of 3.9%). The difficulty for open surgery in current practice would be the non-availability of the umbilicus because of the mid-line incision. That was the meeting's view.
My personal view is that this is mind blowing. Given the anatomical and evolutionary fact that intake and output orifices are in the midline (including the umbilicus before we are born), it now strikes me as strange why surgeons ever thought of placing stomas away from the midline. However, with the advent of laparoscopic surgery, the umbilicus is now available for stoma placement. With a published 10% to 70% parastomal hernia rate and up to 77% recurrence of repaired parastomal hernias, the resources taken up in dealing with these are enormous; it looks like we could have a winning situation for everyone if we placed end stomas through the umbilicus. We could have dramatically better results.
I am not sure if anyone is willing to take this up but I wish someone would.
0% complication is what Successful Healthcare looks to me.
It may not be possible in many areas but where we get a link to such a course
we ought to vigorously pursue it
HEMADRI
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