[Penetrating wound of the abdomen. Report of a patient undergoing 24 operations]

We report a case of 41 year-old male who was operated on 24 times because of an entero-cutaneous fistula secondary to a gun shot wound. The patient was hospitalized during 23 months, most of which were spent fasting. He received parenteral nutrition during 16 months. The importance of nutritional support and the need to only operate when a patient's condition are optimal are stressed.