[Management of postoperative intestinal fistulas with elemental diet (author's transl)].

From 1973-1976 sixteen patients with clinically manifest post-operative fistulas (7 small intestinal and 9 colonic) were studied. These patients received an elemental diet (ED) as their only nutritional support for 9-44 days. On ED spontaneous closure was observed in 4 out of 7 small intestinal fistulas and in 7 out of 9 colonic fistulas. Hemoglobin and serum albumin increased significantly on ED and nitrogen balance performed on 7 patients was in equilibrium or positive. Advantages of ED over intravenous nutrition in the treatment of intestinal fistulas are discussed.