Bishop-Koop Ostomy Revisited: A “Test-Drive” Intestinal Diversion for Children With Suspected Bowel Dysmotility

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Bishop-Koop ileostomy has been widely used in pediatric patients with the intention of including as much bowel as possible in the intestinal transit early in the management of children with meconium ileus and intestinal atresia. In recent years, we have been using it as an alternative to test the distal bowel function before closure of a previously constructed ostomy in selected children with questionable distal bowel motility. AIMS: The aim of this study was to present our experience with this alternative use of the Bishop-Koop ostomy. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional retrospective review of hospital records, combined with a comprehensive literature review. RESULTS: Seven children were included: five had suspected aganglionosis, one had gastroschisis complicated with ileal atresia, and one had a colonic stricture secondary to necrotizing enterocolitis. In this short series of patients, motility of the distal bowel was correctly assessed in six patients and partially correctly assessed in one patient. One patient did not pass stools per anus after the Bishop-Koop, and he was later confirmed to have Hirschsprung disease. Four patients resumed normal evacuation pattern after closure of the Bishop-Koop. One patient had a Bishop-Koop colostomy because of recurrent enterocolitis after a transanal pull-through. Although he evacuated normally while having the colostomy, the diarrhea recurred after the ostomy was closed. An additional patient, with a severe behavioral problem, did not evacuate per anus after her colostomy was transformed in a Bishop-Koop-type ostomy, despite the apparent presence of normal ganglia in the bowel wall. CONCLUSIONS: Data from the present series allow us to affirm that Bishop-Koop-type ostomy is a safe and efficient procedure that can be used to assess distal bowel function before a definitive transit reconstruction, in children with uncertain motility issues.