Hartmann procedure, a.k.a. proctosigmoidectomy, is an operation in which the sigmoid colon is resected and the distal colon brought out as a colostomy in the left iliac fossa. The remnant rectum stump is sewn shut. It is a quick and straightforward intervention and finds most favor in the emergency setting, when other perioperative factors preclude a primary colorectal anastomosis 1. Historically it was a lot more commonly used with a much wider set of indications.
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Indications
emergent surgery
palliation: serious concurrent disease or fecal incontinence
Complications 3
infection of the surgical site
ileus
postoperative hemorrhage
abscess
death
History and etymology
Henri Albert Hartmann (1869-1952), a French surgeon, originally described his eponymous procedure for the treatment of an obstructive colorectal carcinoma in 1923 1.