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Management and survival of meconium ileus. A 30-year review

C A Del Pin1, C Czyrko, M M Ziegler

  • 1Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA 19104.

Annals of Surgery
|February 1, 1992
PubMed

Insights

Outcomes for cystic fibrosis patients with meconium ileus have significantly improved, with survival rates reaching 100% regardless of surgical approach. Long-term nutritional status in these patients is comparable to their peers without meconium ileus.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Cystic Fibrosis Research
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Meconium ileus (MI) is a significant early complication of cystic fibrosis (CF).
  • Historically, MI presented a poor prognosis, but recent decades show improved outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of surgical management and long-term nutritional care on survival in CF patients with MI.
  • To compare the effectiveness of different surgical interventions for MI.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 59 CF patients with MI diagnosed between 1959 and 1989.
  • Analysis of surgical outcomes (Bishop-Koop ileostomy, Mikulicz ileostomy, primary resection and anastomosis, ileostomy) and nonoperative management.
  • Comparison of long-term growth percentiles between CF patients with and without MI.

Main Results:

  • Six-month survival for MI improved from 37% to 100% over the study period.
  • Nonoperative management (11 cases) resulted in 100% long-term survival.
  • Primary resection and anastomosis (RA) group showed lower late operative intervention rates (20%) compared to other surgical methods (81%).
  • Long-term growth percentiles were similar between CF patients with and without MI.

Conclusions:

  • Improved survival for MI is independent of the specific surgical procedure used.
  • Bishop-Koop ileostomy remains an effective treatment for MI.
  • Primary resection and anastomosis may offer lower surgical morbidity in selected MI cases.
  • Meconium ileus does not negatively impact the long-term nutritional outcomes of cystic fibrosis patients.

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