Surgical Management of Open Abdomen with Barker Dressing

Abstract

This literature review aims to analyze the surgical treatment of enteroatmospheric fistula (EAF) and its effectiveness. Based on studies carried out from 2013 to 2022 in the PubMed, Google Academic, and Medline databases to analyze the surgical technique of the case report and compare it with other literature. The enteroatmospheric fistula (EAF), as its name indicates, is defined as an opening that connects the gastrointestinal tract and the atmosphere, located in an open abdomen, being a consequence of abdominal surgeries, traumas, perforations, ischemia, and leakage of the anastomosis after surgery. The amount of time the abdomen stays open is directly related to the risk of EAF. That is, the longer the time with the abdomen open, the more significant the risk of EAF. Among the types of fistulas, those with a high volume (>500mL) are considered the most lethal. Spontaneous closure is complex and rare, as there is not an abundance of vascularized tissue in the region, in addition to the fact that the tissue is in constant contact with the contents of the gastrointestinal tract, causing tissue irritation and delaying healing speed. Surgical procedures may be necessary