I work in an intestinal failure unit and perform approximately 40 ECF repairs per annum. I find it hard to believe that these plugs would work in any of our patients. NICE have recently published guidelines. The surgery is complex but with good success rates. Also what about the abdominal wall? We normally have to reconstruct this with Ramirez type techniques and biological mesh etc. A plug would obviously leave this unattended. Which type of fistulas would be suitable? The evidence seems extremely poor to say the least.
Hi Alec, hope you are doing well, long time no see.
Here is a paper that we recently published in Zurich describing our experience:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/codi.12888/abstract
Hope you find it useful.
Cheers
Dimitri
The more effective treatment of ECF remains in my opinion the surgery....... selecting the proper timing. I tried with collagene plugs ...with bad results.
collagene plugs can be used but the success rate is low. As it's without rusk why not trying to avoid a new intervention. To be successfull collagene plug neds to be inserted on a clean fistula ( no collected infection) so use irrigation before.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Social Psychology
- Attitude