Sutureless Loop Enterostomy in Very Low and Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants

Introduction Sutureless enterostomy is used as an effective technique for constructing an enterostomy in very low and extremely low birth weight infants in Japan. Sutureless enterostomy is a separate type of enterostomy procedure for low birth weight infants. We adapted this technique and developed sutureless loop enterostomy (SLE), an approach without a skin bridge in which the intestinal wall is not sutured to the abdominal wall. This study aimed to compare SLE outcomes with those of sutureless enterostomy (SE) and the conventional procedure (C). Methods We retrospectively reviewed clinical records of 32 very low or extremely low birth weight infants who underwent enterostomy and classified the infants into three groups according to the procedure: SLE, SE, and C. We compared surgery-related items and enterostomy-related complications between the three groups. Results We found no significant differences in sex, age at surgery, or surgical blood loss. The operation time was significantly shorter in the SLE group than in the C group (P < 0.05). The number of postoperative complications was not significantly different in the SLE group compared with the other two groups. Conclusion Sutureless loop enterostomy is an effective, safe procedure for enterostomy in very low and extremely low birth weight infants.