OBJECTIVETo compare the safety of anastomosis and ostomy following 2-stage definitive colonic resection when severe colonic injuries treated in the setting of damage control surgery(DCS).

METHODSClinical data of 67 patients with severely traumatic colonic injuries undergoing DCS at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between 2005 and 2013 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into the anastomosis group undergoing colonic resection and anastomosis (n=40), and the ostomy group undergoing anastomosis with a protecting proximal ostomy (n=27). Postoperative complications were compared between these two groups. The risk factors of colonic anastomosis leakage were analyzed.

RESULTSDemographics, injury severity, physiological imbalance on admission, transfusion during the first operative procedure were similar in the two groups (all P>0.05). Rates of anastomotic leakage, intra-abdominal abscess, enterocutaneous fistula, and would infection after definitive resection were not statistically different between the two groups (all P>0.05). Colonic anasomotic leakage rates were 15.0% (6/40) in anastomosis group and 11.1% (3/27) in ostomy group without significant difference (P>0.05). Left-sided colon injuries occurred in 7 out of 9 patients with anatomotic leakage, whose proportion was significantly higher than that in those without anastomotic leakage (7/9 vs. 24/58, 77.8% vs. 41.4%, P<0.05). A prolonged peritoneal closure was also observed in patients with anastomotic leakage (median, 10 days vs. 2 days, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSA strategy of diverting ostomy is not the first choice for patients suffering from severe colonic injuries in the setting of DCS. Peritoneal closure at early stage may decrease the risk of colonic anastomotic leakage.