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Aim: This study aimed to analyze the distribution, clinical indications, and complication rates of pediatric intestinal stomas in our institution, with a particular focus on identifying the predominant underlying pathologies and their correlation with stoma type selection. Methods: This retrospective observational cohort study included 78 pediatric patients who underwent intestinal stoma surgery between June 2020 and June 2023. All patients aged 0-18 years who underwent stoma-creation surgery were identified through our hospital’s data system and clinical surgery register and evaluated for age, sex, primary disease, timing of stoma-creation, stoma type and location, and stoma-related complications. Patients who underwent esophagotomies or gastrostomies were excluded from the study; only those with intestinal stomas were included. Results: Eighty-one stomas were performed on 78 patients: 55 ileostomies (68%), 22 colostomies (27%), and 4 jejunostomies (5%). Divergent (44.5%) and loop (42%) stomas were the most common. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) was the leading indication (30.7%, n=24), followed by Hirschsprung disease (23.1%, n=18), meconium ileus (11.5%, n=9), and anorectal malformations (ARM) (10.3%, n=8). The overall complication rate was 78.2%, with skin excoriation being most frequent (64.1%, n=50). Neonates constituted 48.7% of patients (n=38), and 72% of patients were under one year of age. Conclusion: Unlike most pediatric series, in which ARM predominate, NEC was the leading stoma indication in our cohort, reflecting institutional characteristics, including the absence of a dedicated neonatal surgery unit. Ileostomy was the most frequently performed procedure. Stoma indications and types vary significantly according to regional factors and the institutional infrastructure.
Fatma Saraç (Fri,) studied this question.