High risk of fistula formation in vacuum assisted closure therapy in patients with open abdomen due to secondary peritonitis a retrospective analysis
PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of vacuum assisted closure therapy in patients with open abdomen due to secondary peritonitis and to identify possible risk factors of fistula formation.MethodsThe hospital OPS database (time period 2005 2014) was searched to identify patients treated with an open abdomen due to secondary peritonitis, who underwent vacuum assisted closure therapy. Medical records were retrospectively analyzed for patients' characteristics, cause of peritonitis, duration of vacuum therapy, number of relaparotomies, fascial closure rates, and risk factors of fistula formation.ResultsForty three patients (19 male, 24 female) with a median age of 65 years (range 24 90 years) were identified. The major cause of secondary peritonitis was anastomotic leakage after intestinal anastomosis or bowel perforation, the median APACHE II score was 11. Median duration of VAC treatment was 12 days (range 3 88 days) Twenty of 43 (47 patients died from septic complications. Delayed fascial closure was obtained by suturing in 20 of 43 patients (47 Overall 16 of 43 (37 patients developed enteroatmospheric fistulas. Re explorations after starting VAC treatment and duration of VAC therapy were significantly associated with the occurrence of enteroatmospheric fistulas (p 0.001) ROC curve analysis determined the optimal duration of VAC therapy to reduce the risk of fistula formation at 13 days.ConclusionsLong term VAC treatment of patients with an open abdomen due to secondary peritonitis results in a relatively low fascial closure rate and a high risk of fistula formation.
Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery