Diverting Stoma-Related Evisceration: A Comprehensive Review of 28 Case Reports Published in the Medical Literature in English

Abstract

Evisceration is an exceptional complication of diverting a stoma (a common procedure, often considered a minor surgery) with peculiar, specific, features (distinct-to-usual incisional evisceration), due to the presence of a stoma. Available data are limited to a few case reports; some aspects are not fully documented. The results of 28 case reports (full-text articles published in the English literature) were analyzed using 14 variables: age and gender; pathology; surgical setting; index surgery and type of stoma; intended stoma creation; time from surgery to evisceration; type of evisceration; visceral content; cause of evisceration; specific predisposing/risk factors; surgical approach; resection of nonviable content; surgical stoma treatment; and short-term outcome. Urgent surgery resulted in 46.42% resection of nonviable eviscerated content and 7.14% mortality. All issues (some not discussed in previous reviews) were analyzed, to highlight their clinical relevance for surgical practice. The mechanisms (types of evisceration) are different in parastomal and transstomal/intrastomal evisceration; they should be considered as distinct entities. The real (underlying) etiology was identified in 26/28 case reports (92.85%): surgical failure, such as inadequate technique/tactics/strategy (12/26 case reports, 46.15%); trauma (7/26 case reports, 26.92%); and spontaneous necrosis (6/26 case reports, 21.42%). Parastomal hernia and/or prolapse (10/28 case reports, 35.71%) were specific predisposing factors; in such cases, early surgical treatment is recommended. Temporary stoma was a potential risk factor, both for early as well as for late evisceration (e.g., long-standing temporary stoma); in such cases, early take-down or conversion to definitive stoma is beneficial. A local surgical approach (avoiding median laparotomy) was used in 13/28 (46.42%) of case reports. Seven different surgical options were used for surgical stoma treatment, demonstrating versatility; the initial stoma site was preserved in 22/28 (78.57%) of case reports.

Keywords: colorectal surgery; emergency surgery; parastomal evisceration; stoma complications; transstomal evisceration.