2. • A Fistula is defined as an abnormal
communication between two epithelized
surfaces.
• Enterocutaneous fistulas (ECFs) are abnormal
communications between the bowel and skin
• Morality rate of 6.5 to 21%.
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3. HISTORY
• The earliest record of an enterocutaneous Fistula
appears in the old Testament Book of judges Written BY
Samuel Between 1043 BC and 1004 BC.
• Celsus described the first reported attempt of surgical
repair of a colocutaneous fistula.
• In the 18th century John Hunter advocated a conservative
approach to fistulas after he noted that fistulas
occasionally close spontaneously.
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4. •In early 1900’s enterostomy was made in healthy bowel
proximally in obstructed bowel
•This often would close spontaneously on resolution of
obstruction
•This lead to an unrealistic optimistic approach towards all
enterocutaneous fistulas
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5. CLASSIFICATION
Anatomical classification:
(1)
Internal: Two organ of same or different system
• Enteroenteral, enterovesical,enterocolic,
External: Gut to body surface.
• Gastrocutaneous,duodenocutaneous, enterocutaneous.
(2)
Simple or direct.
Complicated-
1.Having multiple tracts
2. Connection with more than one viscus
3. drainage into an associated abscess cavity.
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6. Physiological classification
• High output- output more than 500 ml/ day
• Moderate output- output 200-500 ml/day
• Low output- output less than 200ml/day
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9. 3. Congenital
– Tracheo- esophageal
– Rectovaginal
– Umbilical fistula.
4. Traumatic
– Blunt and penetrating trauma of abdomen, chest
and perineum
bbthapa 9
10. ETIOLOGY
• Disease bowel extending to surrounding structures
• Extraintestinal disease involving otherwise normal
bowel
• Trauma to normal bowel including inadverent or
missed enterotomies
• Anostomotic disruption following surgery for a
vareity of conditions
bbthapa 10
11. • Small intestinal fistula are most common type
of gastrointestinal fistulas encountered.
• Most series report 70%-90-% of small
intestinal fistulas occurs after an operative
procedure.
bbthapa 11
13. Nutritional characteristics have been suggested to
increase the risk of anastomotic breakdown:
1. Weight loss of 10–15% of total body weight over 3–4
months;
2. Serum albumin less than 3 mg/dL;
3. Serum transferrin less than 220 mg/dL;
4. Anergy to recall antigens; or
5. Inability to perform activities of daily living due to
weakness or fatigue.
bbthapa 13
14. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Fluid and electrolyte imbalance.
• Malnutrition
• Sepsis
• Skin irritation and excoriation
bbthapa 14
18. Avg. Time to closure
• Varies with anatomical location
1. Esophageal- 15-25 days
2. Duodenal- 30-40 days
3. Colonic - 30- 40 days
4. Small Bowel- 40-60 days
bbthapa 18
19. MANAGEMENT
THE GOAL are
• Re-establishment of bowel continuity
• Ability to achieve oral nutrition
• Closure of the fistula
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20. MANAGEMENT PHASES
PHASE TIME COURSE
RECOGNITON /
STABILISATION
24 TO 48 HRS
INVESTIGATON 7- 10 DAYS
DECISION 10 DAYS TO 6 WEEKS
DEFINITIVE
MANAGEMENT
WHEN CLOSURE UNLIKELY OR 4-6
WKS
HEALING 5 – 10 DAYS AFTER CLOSURE
UNTILL FULL ORAL NUTRITON
bbthapa 20
21. Recogniton/stabilisation
• Resuscitation
• Control of sepsis
• Electrolyte repletion
• Provision of nutrition
• Control of fistula drainage
• Local skin care n protection
bbthapa 21
22. Clinical presentation
• Recognized 5th-10th days
post operatively.
• Fever/ shock
• Prolonged ileus
• Erythema of wound
• Abdominal tenderness
• Drainage of enteric material
through the abdominal
wound or through or existing
drains.
• leucocystosis
• confirmation can be obtained
by oral administration of a
nonabsorbable marker, such
as charcoal or Congo red
bbthapa 22
23. Resuscitation :
– Restoration of normal circulating blood volume
• Hct- 30%
– Correction of electrolyte & acid base imbalance.
– Plasma oncotic pressure should be restored by
exogenous albumin administration. - 3 mg/dl
bbthapa 23
24. Control of Sepsis
• Management of local wound infections
• Drainage if Intra-abdominal collections (percutaneous)
• Laparotomy may be required for:
– Extensive cellulitis/necrotising fascitis
– Incomplete percutaneous drainage of collections
– Disruption of anastomosis
• Antibiotics as per indicated
• CVP only after 24 hrs of drainage
bbthapa 24
25. Skin care management:
• Problems in skin around the fistula:
– Wetness
– Burning pain
– Discomfort from skin edema
• Goals of skin care:
– Containing the effluent
– Patient independence and mobility
T
bbthapa 25
27. Techniques of skin care:
• Wound pouch dressings
– One/two piece design
– Clip closure or Urostomy type
– May be attached to a bed side bag or suction
catheter
bbthapa 27
30. Sump Drainage:
– For fistulae draining with open abdominal wound.
– Large bore drains or sumps
– High pressure suction
VAC
• Removes chronic edema, leading to increased localized blood flow, and
the applied forces result in the enhanced formation of granulation
tissue”
Fistuloscopy with fibrin glue injection Closure within 2-30 days.
(Eleftheriadis, 2002)
Dry dressing
bbthapa 30
35. Reduction of fistula output
•Infliximab (monoclonal antibody) (in Crohn’s disese)
•Oral tacrolimus (in Crohn’s disese)
bbthapa 35
36. • Nasogastric tubes : should be removed if
– There is a no obstruction.
– Fistula is a low in intestinal tract.
bbthapa 36
37. Nutritional management:
– Plays Central role in management
– Adequate circulation and tissue oxygenation must
for optimal utilization.
– May be:
• Enteral
• Parenteral
bbthapa 37
38. •Chapman and colleagues demonstrated that patients
receiving optimal nutritional support (3000 calories per
day) had a mortality rate of 12% as compared to 55%
mortality among patients receiving a sub optimal
nutritional regimen.
•Robauk and Nichdoff reported closure of 73% enteric
fistulae in patients with adequate caloric
supplementation but only 19% healed when nutritional
support was inadequate.
bbthapa 38
39. General guidelines
• 25–32 kcal/kg/day with a calorie:nitrogen
ratio of 150:1 to 100:1 and at least 1.5 grams
per kilogram per day of
• Patients should receive 3000 to 5000 non
proteins calories per day
bbthapa 39
40. • Patients daily protein requirement is 1.2 to
2.0 gm kg/day.
• Fluid requirement is 30ml/kg/day.
• Electrolyte requirement/day
• Na-70-100 meq/day
• K- 70-100 meq/day
• Mg- 15-20 meq/day
• Ca- 10-20 meq/day
bbthapa 40
41. Recommended Nutritional Support
Low Output High Output
Form Enteral Usually Parenteral
Protein 1-1.5g/kg/day 1.5-2.5g/kg/day
Calories BEE BEE x 1.5
Lipids Enteral (20-30%) Parenteral (20-30%)
Vitamins RDA
Vit C – 2RDA
2RDA
Vit C – 5 –10RDA
Minerals Usually not needed Close watch
Vitamin K 10mg/wk 10mg/wk
bbthapa 41
43. Harris Benedict Equation
• BEE in kcal per day for men =
66.4 + (13.7 × weight in kg) + (5.0 × height in cm)
– (6.7 × age in years)
• BEE in kcal per day for women =
655 + (9.6 × weight in kg) + (1.8 × height in cm) –
(4.7 × age in years)
bbthapa 43
44. TPN indications
• Inability to obtain enteral access
• High output fistulas
• GI intolerance with enteral nutrition
• Multiple unfavorable factors (ileus, obst, )
• Not proven well in mortality reduction in ECF,
but improve spontaneous closure
J Clin Gastroenterol 2000; 31(3)
bbthapa 44
45. TPN
• Conc. dextrose: 500ml of 20% Dex. (=400 kcal)
• Fat: 500 ml 10% fat emulsion (=450 kcal)
• Crystalline Amino Acids: 500 ml 10% Amino acids
(=8.4 g Nitrogen)
• Daily Vitamin Supplementation ( Vit. K 10 mg/wk)
• Rate of infusion
• Starting: 50 – 100 ml/hr
• Gradually increased by 25 – 50 ml/hr every second day
bbthapa 45
46. Patient Monitoring:
• Clinically: (daily)
– Sense of well being
– Graded activity
– Vitals
– Weight / input-output
• Laboratory profile: (daily until patient stable then twice weekly)
– Serum albumin
– Serum Electrolytes
– RFT
– LFT/ coagulation profile
– Lipid profile
bbthapa 46
48. • Metabolic
– Acute
• Hyperglycemia/hypoglycemia
• Electrolyte abnormalities
• Fluid overload
• Hyperlipidemia
– Chronic
• Metabolic bone disease
• Alterations in bile composition
bbthapa 48
49. Enteral Nutrition
nasogastic/nasoenteric/fistuloclysis
• Benefits:
– Trophic effect on bowel
– Stimulates hepatic protein synthesis
– Improve immune / hormaonal/ barrier function
– Dec infection rate/ metabolic complication
– Inexpensive
• 4 ft of functional bowel/ distal patency required
• Lipid based formula absorbed more efficiently
bbthapa 49
50. INVESTIGATION (7-10 days)
Objectives of investigation plan: To define-
• Precise anatomical location
• Is the bowel in continuity or is disrupted
• Abscess cavity
• Condition of adjacent bowel
• Is there a distal obstruction
• Etiological disease process
bbthapa 50
54. Endoscopic studies
• Gastro duodenoscopy : Demonstrates both
underlying disease and presence of fistula.
• Colonoscopy : Fistula is usually not visible but
presence of disease and its nature by biopsy can be
demonstrated.
bbthapa 54
55. DECISION: (10 days – 6 wks)
Evaluate the likelihood of spontaneous closure
Decide duration of trial of nonoperative management
• No signs of imminent closure after 4- 6 weeks then patient
should be prepared for surgery.
• Unfavorable characteristics since beginning
• Uncontrolled sepsis urgent drainage of sepsis.
• General condition very poor then only abscess drainage
• In case of malignancies early operation should be done.
bbthapa 55
56. • 90 – 95 % of fistulas that will spontaneously
close typically do so within 5 weeks of
operation
• Operation during the first 10 days to 6 weeks
from diagnosis of postoperative fistulas is
made more difficult by the obliterative
peritonitis
bbthapa 56
57. Extreme
Great
Moderate
Minimal
Severity of Adhesions
0 7 14 21 28 42 56 84 6 months
Time after Operation
bbthapa 57
58. Window Period
• 7 to 12 days from the most recent laparatomy
• Within this “window period” severity of adhesions
are usually milder and repeat laparotomy with the
intent of diverting and or repairing the fistula is
justified since caring for a well matured stoma is
much easier than ECF.
bbthapa 58
59. Why not to operate outside the window period?
• risk of further enterotomy, and fistula formation
and devascularization of the small
• If operation occurred outside the window and is
difficult ,put tube gastrostomy and “GET OUT”
• Defer any attempt of repeat laparotomy up to 4
preferably to 6 months
bbthapa 59
60. DEFINITIVE MANAGEMENT
plan operative approach
• Optimal nutrition parameters
• Free of sepsis
• Well healed abdominal wall without inflammation
• Prophylactic antibiotics
• Tapering of tube feeding
• Operative approach preferably through a new incision
– Transeverse
– Midline
• Prevent contamination of abdominal wall tissues
bbthapa 60
62. • Best results are with definitive resection and EEA
• > 1/2 circumference be treated by resection and
anastomosis
• Direct attack on duodenal fistula is unwise
• Tube duodenostomy to prevent duodenal stump blow out
• Proximal diverting stoma / Tube enterostomy
• Omental flap – to prevent fistulization
• Stomas with mucus fistula or exteriorization
bbthapa 62
63. • Protective diverting stoma proximal to anastomosis
• Secure closure of abdominal wall over the fistula
• Decompression gastrostomy
• Post-op nasogastric decompression
• Feeding jejunostomy ( for proximal fistulae)
• Post op continuation of nutrition with gradual shift
from parenteral to enteral form
bbthapa 63
71. HEALING
• ensure that the patient receive full nutritional support.
• Adequate protein and calories
• Parenteral and enteral supplementation in an overlapping
• Contibue NG feeding untill 1500 kcal/ day orally
• Oral feeding – 1 week with soft diet
• Zinc supplement
• Cycling tube feedings
• Psychological n emotional support
bbthapa 71
72. Late Complications:
• Short bowel syndrome (after multiple fistula repair)
• Stricture and partial obstruction at fistula site
• Esophageal stricture after prolonged nasogastric
sump decompression
• Neuropsychiatric problems
bbthapa 72
73. Prevention of Fistula:
• Prophylactic Antibiotics and Bowel Preparation:
– Polythelene glycol administrtion decreases bacterial load
from 10 12-15 to 10 4-5
– Enteral non-absorbable antibiotics reduce it to 10 2-3
– Prophylactic I/v antibiotic at time of induction of
anaesthesia with repetition of dose in case of prolonged
surgery
– Post op continuation of antibiotic
bbthapa 73
74. • Appropriate hydration to prevent Hypotension and compromised
circulation
• Anastomosis in healthy bowel with adequate blood supply;
without tension
• Meticulous and precise hemostasis
• Selection of proper needle size,suture
• Omental covering if possible
• Dead space obliterated with live tissue and properly drained
• Drains kept away from anastomosis site
bbthapa 74