Changes in Intestinal Microflora after Total Colectomy

Hiromi Iwagaki, Akio Hizuta, Toshikazu Kimura, Yasuyuki Nonaka, Sadanori Fuchimoto, Kunzo Orita

The First Department of Surgery, Okayama University Medical School

Changes in the intestinal microflora of a patient after total colectomy were determined. The patient was a 20-year-old man who was diagnosed as having familial polyposis coli. Total colectomy with an ile-anal anastomosis was performed, and the ileostomy was closed 8 months later. The intestinal microflora, fecal pH, fecal moisture and fecal organic acid were determined 1, 3, 4, 10 and 12 months after the operation. The fecal moisture and fecal pH gradually decreased after the operation. After closure of the ileostomy, the fecal moisture and pH were normalized, and the composition of the fecal organic acid was also normalized. These fecal changes were proportional to the increase in the anaerobic/aerobic ratio. These results suggest that the intestinal flora plays a role in ileal compensation or colonization.

Key words
total colectomy, ileal pouch, compensation, intestinal microflora

Reprint requests
Hiromi Iwagaki First Department of Surgery, Okayama University Medical School
2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayama, 700 JAPAN

Accepted
March 11, 1992

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