Primary repair of colon injuries in a developing country

ABSTRACT

Because there are several specific disadvantages to a colostomy in a developing country, primary repair for colon injury was electively performed. Sixty-one consecutive patients with colon injury were seen between 1987 and 1989 and 57 of these (93 percent) underwent primary repair. In four a colostmy was constructed. Emergency repair was carried out regardless of site or mode of injury, presence of hypotension or peitoneal contamination. There was one death unrelated to anastomotic complications and one anastomotic leakage. The faecal fistula closed spontaneously in 4 weeks. The wound infection rate was 10 percent. These data support the emerging view that primary repair of colon injury is the management of choice (AU)