Endoluminal negative pressure wound treatment of anastomotic leakage in rectal surgery patients – critical review of the literature.

During past 20 years the use of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has shown it effectivity and efficiency in treatment of different indications. These indications include treatment of septic complications of open surgery (open abdomen, enteroatmospheric fistulas, wound dehiscence including sternotomy infections, staged abdominal wall repair, diabetic foot syndrome, and salvage of infected prosthetic material) or their prevention (prevention of complications in skin graft application and prevention of prosthetic graft infection). Such use consists of either external use directly in the wound, or intracorporal applications (intraabdominal NPWT, intrathoracal NPWT). New approaches and ways of application are evolving. One of new therapeutic methods are endoluminal use in both upper and lower gastrointestinal tract. Authors performed and present thorough review of the literature on use of endoluminal NPWT in anastomotic leakage in rectal surgery patients. Authors conclude, that endo NPWT is becoming a new and effective therapeutic method in treatment of septic complications of patients after rectal surgery.