Chyme reinfusion nutritional management for enterocutaneous fistula: first international application of a novel pump technique

Aim: High-output enterocutaneous fistulas (ECFs) are an established cause of intestinal failure. Parenteral nutrition (PN) remains the gold standard for nutritional management but is complex, expensive and associated with significant complications. Chyme reinfusion (CR) has been reported by multiple centres as a viable option for nutritional management that improves nutritional status, provides the capacity to cease PN and is cost-effective. The aim of this paper is to describe the first use of a novel pump device (The Insides System™) by an independent centre in Australia for the nutritional management of a patient with high-output ECF.

Method: CR was performed on a 66-year-old woman with a high-output ECF. The device consists of two main components: a centrifugal pump that sits inside the stoma appliance and a battery-powered driver that is magnetically coupled externally onto the pump. The device allows for bolus CR at a rate of infusion that is manually controlled by the patient based on comfort, volume and effluent viscosity.

Results: CR provided adequate nutritional support, with successful cessation of PN. Effective use of the device was learnt easily by the patient with minimal demands on nursing assistance. Side effects of CR (diarrhoea, abdominal cramping) were overcome by the patient's ability to manually adjust the reinfusion rate.

Conclusion: Our experience with the novel Insides System™ device showed promising results in maintaining nutritional status as well as providing a minimally invasive, easy to use and low-cost system for CR. CR should be considered as a viable alternative for the nutritional management of patients with a high-output ECF.