The continent reservoir ileostomy: review of a collective series of thirty-six patients from three surgical departments.

A reservoir ileostomy was created in 36 patients. Three patients died from septic complications in the postoperative period, and one patient died from rectal carcinoma during the observation period. In six patients the reservoirs were removed during the observation period because of nipple-valve extrusion, nonspecific ileitis of the reservoir, or recurrence of Crohn's disease. Complications from the reservoir and its outlet were quite frequent and included fistula formation in eight patients, nipple-valve extrusion in 12 patients, nonspecific ileitis of the reservoir in five patients, and stenosis of the nipple in one patient. Malabsorption of vitamin B12 and fat due to a stagnant loop syndrome was found in four of seven patients examined for this. Fifteen patients underwent 25 reoperations for complications from the reservoir and its outlet. Twenty-six patients still have their reservoirs. Twenty-five of them are continent. They do not wear external appliances and they empty their reservoirs with a tube two to five times daily. One patient is incontinent due to an unrepaired nipple-valve extrusion.