Performing an intestinal stoma with placement of an Artificial Sphincter® Intestinal Valve (VITEA): A case report

INTRODUCTION: Intestinal stomas are created for distinct clinical conditions. They may involve the small bowel (ileostomy) or the large bowel (colostomy), depending on the objective or site of the stoma. Intestinal stomas may be temporary or permanent; they cause loss control of intestinal transit due to the absence of a sphincter that regulates its exit, provoking a continuous passage of fecal matter through the stoma. Within the environment of the ostomized patients, there are several important complications involving their quality of life. CASE PRESENTATION: The Intestinal Valve Type Artificial Sphincter (VITEA) device is placed in a patient diagnosed with cervical cancer, who has a vaginal-rectum fistula that requires a definitive colostomy. DISCUSSION: Intestinal stomas have been validated for over a century. We present the case with a similar complication rate to those described after performing a stoma with conventional open technique in terms of quality of life and cost-benefit ratio. The proportion of complications and the quality of life found in the ostomized patient with the VITEA* device is acceptable, and also eliminates the colostomy bags, providing the function of an artificial sphincter by everting the mucosa on the same device. No complications were found during the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The results from this proposal will allow to evaluate the safety and efficacy profile associated with a stomal bags.