Background: Stomas are associated with multiple complications including dehydration which ultimately affects renal function. These complications begin with changes in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR).
Objectives: Evaluate changes in GFR after stoma creation by stoma type and identify how different types of stoma affect GFR.
Design: Retrospective, analytical cohort SETTING: Tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia PATIENTS AND METHODS: The colorectal surgery database was reviewed for all adult patients who underwent stoma creation (permanent and temporary ileostomies and colostomies) or reversal in 2000-2015. GFR was estimated at the first encounter, before the index surgery, at the time of stoma reversal, and upon the last follow-up. Patients with renal impairment, including low GFR before stoma creation, patients who had a temporary stoma converted to a permanent stoma, and patients who died with a stoma were excluded. We studied the association of several demographic and clinical factors on changes in GFR by univariate and multivariate analysis.
Main outcome measures: Estimated GFR at the last clinic visit for the permanent stoma group and at stoma closure for the temporary stoma group.
Sample size: 394 patients (149 ileostomates, 245 colostomates) RESULTS: Thirty-three (8.4%) of the 394 patients had a low GFR: 11 (7.4%) in the ileostomy group and 22 (9%) in the colostomy group (P= .579). The rate of readmissions with ileostomies was higher (11.4%) than with colostomies (3.3%) (P≤.001). The number of temporary ileostomies (n=9, 7.0%) differed from temporary colostomies (n=2, 1.9%) but the difference was not statistically significant (P=.06). In the multivariate analysis, stoma permanency, hypertension, chemotherapy and nephrotoxic drugs were risk factors associated with low GFR.
Conclusion: Ileostomies were not associated with a high rate of renal function deterioration in comparison to colostomies, but had a significantly higher rate of readmission due to dehydration and electrolytes imbalance possibly due to the hot climate in Saudi Arabia.
Limitations: Retrospective nature and limited sample size which may have resulted in a type 2 statistical error.
Conflicts of interest: None.