Postoperative intussusception in children

Abstract

Background: Postoperative intussusception is an uncommon and sometimes forgotten cause of postoperative intestinal obstruction in children. Methods: Eleven consecutive cases of postoperative intussusception during a period of 16 years (1981-1997) were analysed retrospectively. Results: Symptoms developed after a median period of 5 days after operation. With one exception, postoperative intussusception was not diagnosed before reoperation. In ten of the 11 cases the intussusception was successfully treated with intraoperative manual reduction. Conclusion: Postoperative intussusception is a rare but typical complication in the paediatric age group and should be kept in mind.