Surgery of gastric cancer: treatment of post-operative enterocutaneous fistulas

Anastomosis dehiscences after gastrectomy are a major post-operative complication often resulting in the death of the patient. 13 patients with dehiscences resulting in enterocutaneous fistulae have been treated with parenteral and/or enteral nutrition. Spontaneous closure rate was 84.6% and mean time for fistula closure was 22.4 days from the onset of nutritional treatment. On the base of nutritional effectiveness no difference could be found between enteral and parenteral nutrition in this series.