Is colostomy closure a hazardous procedure? A comparison of elemental diet and routine bowel preparation

Morbidity after closure of a colostomy is low if a simple antiseptic technique of intraperitoneal closure is used. In 26 patients there was no example of major wound sepsis and only 2 faecal fistulas both of which rapidly closed spontaneously. A randomized study of preoperative bowel preparation incorporating an elemental diet showed no apparent advantage for this method using our criteria for assessment.