Short-term complications of surgery

Abstract

Patients undergoing surgery for bowel endometriosis may experience various short-term complications that increase morbidity, length of hospital stay, and negatively affect the medical cost. All types of bowel endometriosis surgical treatment (shaving, disc excision, segmental resection) carries a risk of complications. The most frequent complications are rectovaginal fistula, anastomotic leakage, pelvic abscess, and postoperative bleeding. Surgical factors may influence the risk of short-term complications. There is some evidence that protective defunctioning stoma may be considered to decrease the risk of complications in patients requiring partial colpectomy and in those undergoing ultralow colorectal anastomosis. Some surgical techniques may reduce the risk of complications, such as omentoplasty, mesorectal flap interposition, and prevesical peritoneum interposition in patients undergoing concomitant hysterectomy. However, the usefulness of these techniques is still a matter of debate. When complications occur, a timely diagnosis is necessary to decrease morbidity and length of hospital stay.