The management of the patient with an enterocutaneous fistula is complex and requires coordinated care on many fronts for successful elimination. With optimal nonoperative management a fistula may heal spontaneously, the majority within the first 4 weeks after development. Definitive surgical treatment is best achieved with resection of the bowel containing the fistula and anastomosis of healthy normal bowel. The timing of definitive surgery appears to be optimal months after development, if tolerated. Death rates are low after surgery and patients who experience the recurrence of a fistula after initial attempt at closure can ultimately still be cured.
Keywords: Enterocutaneous fistulas; operative management; resection; timing.