Constipation and Outcomes of Cecostomy

Successful Colonoscopy-assisted Cecostomy Tube Replacement to Salvage Lost Cecostomy Tract Access in Children

OBJECTIVES

Cecostomy tubes are commonly used for antegrade enema delivery in children with spinal defects and anorectal malformations to help address chronic constipation and fecal incontinence. Once surgically or radiologically placed, cecostomy tubes require changes by a percutaneous approach, which may be unsuccessful requiring repeat laparoscopy or open surgery to re-establish the cecostomy tract. The role of colonoscopy assistance to salvage lost cecostomy access in children who fail percutaneous replacement is not well described. The primary aim was to describe the safety and effectiveness of a colonoscopy-assisted approach to re-establish lost cecostomy access in children.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study of the methods, success and complication rates associated with colonoscopy assisted cecostomy tube replacement in children between 2000 and 2017 at a pediatric tertiary care center.

RESULTS

Ninety-five patients with 841 attempted procedures were included with only 1% of procedures requiring endoscopic assistance. These included 7 colonoscopy-assisted cecostomy tube replacement procedures in 6 patients (median age 9.2 years, median weight 26.3 kg, 33% girls). The most common reason for using colonoscopy assistance was a failed percutaneous approach. The colonoscopy-assisted approach was successful in all cases without documented complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Colonoscopy-assisted cecostomy tube replacement is safe and highly successful in re-establishing lost cecostomy access in children after failed attempts with percutaneous or fluoroscopic-guided approaches.

Using a Decision Tree to Guide Bowel Management in Spina Bifida

BACKGROUND

When born with spina bifida, there are numerous neurologic disorders that accompany this birth defect, including neurogenic bowel. Proactive, systematic, and rational approaches can lead to continence and a more functional lifestyle [1].

METHODS

Based on the evidence in the literature and expert experience, our approach to bowel management was developed as a step by step, individualized approach. This was converted to a decision tree for easy guidance of treatment decisions. The approach includes teaching patients and families normal bowel function, changes resulting from neurogenic bowel, common pitfalls in bowel management, and techniques that may improve outcomes. The decision tree, starting with dietary management, breaks into a two-fold attack, oral and rectal. Our data as part of the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry (NSBPR) database was compared to public data from the NSBPR.

RESULTS

Preliminary data from the NSBPR in 2011 reported bowel continence in 42.1% (n = 898) compared to our clinical outcomes of 72.1% (n = 43). As the variable of bowel continence was further defined and more patients were enrolled, the clinic results were comparable to the national reports.

CONCLUSION

Consistency among providers and caregivers is critical to evaluating the management of continence in spina bifida. While this protocol warrants further evaluation, it is offered as an evidence-based, step by step, approach to bowel management in spina bifida with good outcomes for patient management.