Necrotizing enterocolitis: extent of disease and surgical treatment

The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of surgical treatment of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) according to the extent of disease and to establish if resection of the ileocecal valve represents a poor prognostic factor.

The authors reviewed all cases of NEC (n = 161) treated in our hospital during the last 11 years; of these, 83 required surgical intervention. Definitions used by the authors include isolated, disease in a single intestinal segment; multifocal, disease in two or more intestinal segments; and pan-intestinal, majority of small and large bowel involved.

Twenty-five neonates had isolated NEC, 46 neonates had multifocal NEC, and 12 had pan-intestinal involvement. Survival rate was affected by the extent of intestinal involvement, the lowest survival rate (33%) being noticed in neonates with pan-intestinal involvement. In patients with isolated NEC, postoperative complications and survival rate were not affected by the modality of operative treatment. Conversely, in patients with multifocal NEC, survival rate was higher (85%) after resection and primary anastomosis compared with enterostomy (50%; P =.03). Resection of the ileocecal valve was not associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

(1) Resection and primary anastomosis is a valid treatment option in both isolated and multifocal NEC. (2) Neonates with NEC adapt rapidly to the loss of the ileocecal valve.