A Case of Endoscopic Closure of an Intractable Fistula after Surgery for Sigmoid Colon Cancer with an Endoscopic Variceal Ligation Device

Abstract

The case involved an 80-year-old woman who had been taking prednisolone for leg ulcers due to livedoid vasculitis. She was diagnosed with sigmoid colon cancer during treatment for a foreign body in the colon and underwent laparoscopic sigmoid resection. She underwent computed tomography-guided drainage on the 6th postoperative day because of an intra-abdominal abscess due to the surgical procedure. Although the inflammatory findings improved rapidly, an intractable fistula was found in the transverse colon. On the 21st postoperative day, the fistula was confirmed by a lower gastrointestinal endoscope, when the endoscope was exchanged for an upper GI endoscope to perform band ligation with an endoscopic variceal ligation device. She had a good postoperative course and was discharged 28th postoperative day. Endoscopic fistula closure for intractable fistulas after gastrointestinal surgery may accelerate the treatment period and is a useful treatment if endoscopy can be safely performed.