Postoperative external small bowel fistulas: a study of a consecutive series of patients treated with intravenous hyperalimentation

A consecutive series of 25 patients who developed external small bowel fistula within 2 weeks of abdominal surgery is described. Half the patients had a primary diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease and the fistula arose usually as a result of direct trauma to the bowel or the breakdown of an anastomosis. All the patients were treated conservatively with total bowel rest and intravenous hyperalimentation. In 15 (60 per cent) spontaneous fistula closure occurred, in an average period of 32 days. In 8 patients the fistula failed to close and surgery was performed, but was effective in only 3 cases. Thus the fistula eventually closed in 18 patients. Five patients died, all from intra-abdominal sepsis. Of the 8 patients with a primary diagnosis of Crohn's disease, 3 died, 2 have a persistent fistula, 1 has a permanent ileostomy and spontaneous closure occurred in only 2.