Surgery in cystic fibrosis--a 20-year review
Westwood, A.T.; Ireland, J.D.; Bowie, M.D.
South African Journal of Surgery. Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif Vir Chirurgie 35(4): 181-184
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0038-2361 PMID: 9540393 Document Number: 478661
The surgical histories of 111 patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) seen between 1972 and 1991 were examined. Fifty-seven of these children underwent 154 operations; in 34 the surgery was directly related to CF and accounted for 84 operations. Meconium ileus and its complications were responsible for 26 of the 32 major abdominal CF-related procedures and there were 3 major CF-related thoracic operations. Only 1 child died within a month of operation. Complications occurred in 11.9% of general anaesthetics and post-operative complications in 9.2% of operations. Patients with CF are likely to need operative intervention and, when indicated, surgery should have a low morbidity and mortality.