Typhoid perforation: choice of operation

Over a 17-year period 93 patients have been treated for typhoid perforation of the bowel. Forty-three of these have been treated by closure of the perforation, and 42 by end-to-side ileotransverse colostomy. These two groups are compared. Although there was no difference in mortality, postoperative morbidity in survivors was less in those having an end-to-side ileotransverse colostomy. End-to-side ileotransverse colostomy is a logical operation based upon the pathological changes in the bowel produced by typhoid fever and is the operation of choice.