Delaying Ileostomy Reversal Does Not Increase Postop Complications

MONDAY, May 15, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Delaying ileostomy reversal surgery does not affect the risk for postoperative complications, but loss of microbiota is associated with the incidence of complications, according to a study published online April 13 in Gut Microbes.

Emma L. Beamish, Ph.D., from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom, and colleagues examined the potential influence of delaying ileostomy reversal surgery on clinical and pathological outcomes.

The researchers found that for patients experiencing complications and those with no complications, there were no differences in the time between ileostomy formation and reversal. No correlations were seen between days in stoma and pathological measures, including atrophy or fibrosis, and there was no increase in collagen production at the time of reversal surgery. There was an association observed for the incidence of complications with increased loss of microbiota in the defunctioned ileum, but the decrease was not associated with time to stoma. Microbiota diversity was not significantly different for those who did and did not experience complications following surgery. Delay in stoma reversal did not significantly impact microbiota diversity.

"This follow-up study is the first to show that delaying stoma reversal surgery does not impact on risk of complications or commensal microflora loss, atrophy, or scarring," a coauthor said in a statement. "However, a higher degree of microflora loss is associated with an increased risk of complications. This loss appears to be related to the overall number of bacteria present, rather than the loss of specific types of bacteria. This is of great importance to finding ways to reduce postsurgical complications in patients."

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