Edited by Andie (Xi Yue)

SRRSH’s Intestinal Fistula Diagnosis and Treatment Center was established

An intestinal fistula is an abnormal connection that develops between the intestinal tract and other organs or the skin. It may lead to serious infection and organ failure, affecting patients’ life quality and may put their lives at risk.

There are a variety of causes of intestinal fistula, mainly including a complication of abdominal surgery, Crohn’s disease, severe acute pancreatitis, tumors, abdominal trauma, and radiation to the abdomen.

The treatment of the condition is hindered by difficulties on multiple fronts, such as complicated risk factors, inaccurate diagnosis, prohibitive cost, patients’ ongoing physical pain and psychological burden, and uncertain long-term prognosis. Besides exorbitant direct or indirect medical fees, intestinal fistula affects patients’ and their families’ quality of life and increases the economic burden on the medical insurance system and the wider society.

Considering the predicament in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease and its high morbidity rate, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital (SRRSH), affiliated with Zhejiang University School of Medicine, established the Intestinal Fistula Diagnosis and Treatment Center. It has domestically leading medical teams specializing in treating inflammatory bowel diseases, pancreatitis, and intra-abdominal infections, with a coordination mechanism and innovative devices. The center strives to provide tailored, minimally invasive, definitive treatment for people with intestinal fistula, reduce complications, and avoid a poor prognosis. Treatment time will be shortened with decreased costs, as a way to promote the better deployment and efficient utilization of medical resources.

Featured techniques of the Intestinal Fistula Diagnosis and Treatment Center

Intestinal Diversion with a Degradable Stent

Intestinal diversion is required for the treatment of Iatrogenic, traumatic intestinal fistula. Traditional diversion needs artificial anal indwelling and secondary stoma closure operation. The new method, Intestinal Diversion with a Degradable Stent, can not only protect the healing of low rectal anastomotic site, but also avoid enterostomy, stoma closure operation, and artificial anal indwelling and shorten the treatment time, reducing patient trauma and saving medical resources.

Stent-based Intestinal Anastomosis

This technique is used for high-risk anastomosis. There is a high incidence of intestinal fistula for people who have just received intestinal resection or intestinal anastomosis with special diseases such as inflammatory bowel diseases. Those with malnutrition and abdominal infection are particularly susceptible to it and their anastomotic sites may not heal well after traditional intestinal anastomosis.

The advantages of Stent-based Intestinal Anastomosis include:

n  Temporarily isolating the anastomotic site from the intestinal content before the site heals;

n  Support the anastomotic site to avoid post-operative anastomotic edema, obstruction, and short-term anastomotic stenosis;

n  Fixation of the intestinal tube and stent on the anastomosis site can further reduce the tension on anastomosis and promote healing.