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Complications of large bowel surgery

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

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Early complications of large bowel surgery include:

  • faecal contamination, caused by: - perforation prior to operation - faecal spillage during operation - postoperative leakage, for example anastomotic
  • infection - large bowel surgery has always been associated with a high risk of post-operative infection which has now reduced because of the use of preoperative bowel cleansing and prophylactic antibiotics. When they occur, complications include: - wound infection - intraperitoneal abscess - generalised peritonitis
  • damage to other organs, e.g. ureters, bladders, spleen
  • stomal problems - retraction or sloughing

Late complications include:

  • diarrhoea due to shortened bowel
  • impotence due to division of parasympathetic nerves
  • obstruction of the small bowel - adhesions, or tangling of the small bowel with ileostomy or colostomy

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