Role of protective defunctioning stoma in colorectal resection for endometriosis.

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the role of protective defunctioning stoma (PDS) on the occurrence of digestive tract complications after colorectal resection to treat endometriosis.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).

SETTING

University hospital.

PATIENTS

All patients undergoing segmental colorectal resection to treat colorectal endometriosis with and without PDS between 2003 and 2011 at Tenon University Hospital, Paris, France.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Patients were assessed at 1, 6, and 12 months postoperatively and each year thereafter. Median follow-up was 60 months. Of 198 patients included for analysis, 53 (27%) had PDS. Overall, 15 (7.5%) digestive tract complications occurred: 9 (4.5%) rectovaginal fistulas and 6 (3%) anastomotic leakages. All rectovaginal fistulas occurred in patients with a low colorectal anastomosis (p < .001) and 88% (8 of 9) in patients with a partial colpectomy (p < .001). PDS was associated with a decrease in the number of rectovaginal fistulas in women undergoing partial colpectomy and low colorectal resection from 27% to 15%, without reaching significance (p = .4). No anastomotic leakage occurred in patients with PDS.

CONCLUSION

Our results support that PDS can be omitted in patients with mid-colorectal anastomosis without partial colpectomy. In patients requiring partial colpectomy or partial colpectomy plus low colorectal anastomosis, PDS remains questionable.