Postoperative causes of death of neonatal intestinal obstruction excluding mucoviscidosis and Hirschsprung's disease.

In contrast to the remarkable improvement in the results of operations for oesophageal atresia at the University Children's Hospital, Zurich, the death rate secondary to operations for neonatal intestinal obstruction has remained constantly high between the years 1960 and 1976. The results are distressing especially when it is realised that many of them occurred in infants with good general conditions. The causes of death are analysed and classified according the following criteria: 1. Deaths associated with trisomy 21. 2. Deaths due to the short gut syndrome. 3. Deaths due to severe associated malformations or other conditions. 4. Deaths probably due to surgical mistakes. 5. Deaths due to mistakes in management. The latter group can be subdivided further in deaths due to wrong decision at the primary operation, overlooked medical complications, overlooked surgical complications and mistakes made at subsequent laparotomies.