[Postoperative high digestive-cutaneous fistula. Advantages of nutritional treatment]

Twenty-four patients (18 male and 6 female) with high post-surgery digestive fistulas (8 pancreatic-cutaneous, 7 duodenal-cutaneous, 4 jejunum-cutaneous, 4 ileal-cutaneous, 1 gastric cutaneous) were treated with T.P.N. and/or E.N. between 1980-1983. 17 patients (71%) recovered with spontaneous healing of fistulas in 9-92 (average 39) days. 3 patients underwent a second operation. 3 patients (12.5%) died: 2 for sepsis, 1 for cachexia. A.E. and T.P.N. were able to improve serious catabolic state and to get a better prognosis.