Stump resections resulting from incomplete operations

Stump viscera caused by an incomplete operation can present the same symptoms as before the first operation. Furthermore, as an acute clinical event, these incomplete resections may sometimes cause acute abdomen and may need emergency surgical intervention. A 34-year-old woman with a history of laparoscopic cholecystectomy 5 days before was admitted with acute abdominal symptoms. Abdominal exploration revealed that she had undergone incomplete resection of the gallbladder. Another patient, a 21-year-old man, was admitted with complaints of fluid drainage from his appendectomy incision scar. He was diagnosed as having enterocutaneous fistula. Abdominal exploration revealed a stump appendix fistulizing to the abdominal wall. The third patient was a 32-year-old man with an appendectomy scar who was admitted with complaints of acute appendicitis. The patient was diagnosed as having acute appendicitis and underwent an appendectomy. A stump appendix was removed during the operation. Surgeons should be aware of stump pathologies and keep in mind a possible incomplete operation to prevent delayed diagnosis and treatment.