Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
Colostomy is an artificial opening made in the large bowel to divert faeces and flatus to exterior, where it can be collected in an external appliance. As a method of treating intestinal obstruction, colostomies date back to the later part of the eighteenth century, and some of the first survivors of this procedure were children with imperforate anus.
OBJECTIVE:
To identify the common indications and complications of stoma formation in pediatric age group below two years old.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
A total number of (100) temporary colostomies and ileostomies (96 colostomies and 6 ileostomies) were preformed for (100) neonates, infants and children below two years of age in the pediatric surgical department of Child’s Central Teaching Hospital in Baghdad in the period from January 2005 to January 2007.
RESULTS:
Most of the colostomies and ileostomies (52%) were done in the neonatal period and mainly for imperforate anus (57.6%) and Hirschsprung’s disease (23.8%). Colostomy prolapse was the commonest complication and occurred in twenty patients 20% .the right transverse loop colostomy was the commonest stoma used in our patients and had the higher rate of complications. Prolapse ands skin excoriation were the most common complications in our study.
CONCLUSION:
Hirschsprung’s disease and imperforate anus were the most common indications of stoma formation in pediatric age group. Prolapse, skin excoriation and wound sepsis were the most common complications after creation of stoma.