[The "open abdomen" method of treatment of postoperative peritonitis]

The authors stress the therapeutical difficulties encountered in patients with severe postoperative peritonitis, necessitating multiple interventions for the solution of viscero-peritoneal problems, and of the abdominal wall. The authors' personal experience is presented with the method of the "opened abdomen", which is applied abroad under the improper name of "coeliostomy". The authors describe their procedure, and also describe a complementary method, of the socalled "semi-open abdomen", which is in fact a narrowing of the surgical wound with threads of inxodable wire. Four of six patients hospitalized in an extremely serious condition have been recovered.