Torres A J, Landa J I, Moreno-Azcoita M, Argüello J M, Silecchia G, Castro J, Hernandez-Merlo F, Jover J M, Moreno-Gonzales E, Balibrea J L
Department of Surgery, University Hospital of San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
Arch Surg. 1992 Jan;127(1):97-9; discussion 100. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1992.01420010115018.
To evaluate the effectiveness of treatment with total parenteral nutrition (TPN) alone (group A) or combined with continuous intravenous infusion of somatostatin (group B) in postoperative gastrointestinal fistulas, a multicenter, controlled and prospective randomized trial was designed. We present the results obtained after the evaluation of 40 cases (group A, n = 20; group B, n = 20). No significant differences among these treatment schedules were observed in the percentage of closure of fistulas (group A, 81.25%; group B, 85%), but patients treated with total parenteral nutrition plus somatostatin had the fistulas close within a significantly shorter period of time. Moreover, this treatment was associated with a significantly lower morbidity. These preliminary results indicate that somatostatin is a useful therapeutic complement in the conservative treatment of patients with gastrointestinal fistulas.
