Ischemic colitis following abdominal aortic reconstruction for ruptured aneurysm. A 10-year experience

Between January 1, 1978, and December 31, 1987, a total of 103 patients had operations for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms. The average age was 73 years (range, 53 to 91 years). Thirty-two patients died during surgery or in the immediate postoperative period. In 19 of the remaining 71 patients ischemic colitis developed, an incidence of 27 per cent. This report reviews the clinical findings and course of these patients. The average age of patients developing ischemic colitis was 72 years (range, 53 to 90 years), not significantly different from the group as a whole. There was no correlation between the type of vascular reconstruction and the development of ischemic colitis. Eleven patients died and eight survived, for a mortality rate of 58 per cent. The most common clinical finding was diarrhea early in the postoperative period, which was noted in 20 patients. Thirteen of these patients had ischemic colitis confirmed by flexible sigmoidoscopy. Eight (62%) of these 13 patients survived; three were managed nonoperatively and five had colectomy. Six patients presented between postoperative days 9 and 20 with signs of increasing sepsis but with no diarrhea or other significant clinical findings; ischemic colitis was confirmed by sigmoidoscopy in all six patients. All of these patients died of septic complications. Seven patients with early postoperative diarrhea had normal sigmoidoscopic findings. None developed septic complications and five survived; two died of cardiac events.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)