Ileocolonic anastomosis after right hemicolectomy for carcinoma: stapled or hand-sewn? A prospective, multicenter, randomized trial. Randomized prospective evaluation of the EEA stapler for colorectal anastomoses. [The best anastomoses after colonic resection]. Staples or sutures for low colorectal anastomoses: a prospective randomized trial. A randomised study of colostomies in low colorectal anastomoses. Long-term results of stapled and hand-sewn anastomoses in patients with Crohn's disease. Coloanal anastomosis: are functional results better with a pouch? A prospective randomized study of sutured versus stapled bowel anastomoses in patients with cancer. Randomized comparison of straight and colonic J pouch anastomosis after low anterior resection.
440 patients were prospectively enrolled in a randomized, multicenter trial to compare 4 types of manual (84 interrupted end-to-end, 77 continuous end-to-end, 82 interrupted end-to-side, and 91 continuous end-to-side) (polyglycolic derived suture) and 1 type of stapled (106 side-to-side with GIA+TA devices) ileocolonic anastomosis after right hemicolectomy for carcinoma. The trial was designed according to Schwartz' pragmatic formulation. All 5 groups were well-matched, except for a lower rate of intraoperative sepsis in the stapled group (P < 0.02). The main end point was anastomotic leakage detected clinically or by routine sodium diatrizoate enema on the 8-10th postoperative day. Results showed that stapled ileocolonic anastomosis was associated with less anastomotic leakages (2.8%) than all the other techniques combined (8.3%). In spite of the fact that staples are approximately ten times more expensive, our results suggest performing side-to-side (GIA+TA) mechanical anastomosis after right resection for carcinoma. A randomized, prospective study should be done to evaluate any new procedure or instrument. Our experience with the end-to-end anastomosis (EEA) stapler suggests that an anastomosis can be created in a shorter time than is required for the traditional hand-sewn technique. This difference is even greater when the anastomosis is technically difficult and located deep within the pelvis. There appears to be little difference in the security of a hand-sewn anastomosis compared with that of stapled anastomosis. Postoperative complications appear similar. With the stapler, however, there is an increased risk of intraoperative complications that are not apparent with the traditional hand-sewn technique. These include rectal tears and anastomotic defects. It appears that the EEA stapler can save as many as 12 percent of rectums that otherwise might have to be removed because of technical inability to perform an anastomosis. Among the numerous anastomotic techniques after colonic resection, the mechanical sutures using staplers have been credited with a lower incidence of anastomotic leakage than hand-sewn anastomoses. This hypothesis has been tested in two multicentre, prospective, randomized trials after right hemicolectomy for carcinoma and after left colectomy with colorectal anastomosis. After right hemicolectomy, the stapled anastomosis using the GIA and TA staplers appeared to be superior to all hand-sewn anastomoses. This superiority was not apparent after left colectomy followed by colorectal anastomosis. Although the leakage rate of stapled anastomoses was similar to hand-sewn anastomoses, they carry a high rate of intra-operative mishaps. Furthermore, the stapler does not permit a lower anastomosis in this study. Finally, the overall cost of a stapled anastomosis is superior to the cost of an hand-sewn anastomosis. One hundred and eighteen patients undergoing low colorectal anastomoses were randomly allocated to reconstitution by either single layer interrupted extramucosal sutures or circular staple gun. In the 60 patients undergoing sutured anastomosis there were 2 (3 per cent) clinical leaks and 4 (7 per cent) radiological leaks, and no failures. Of the 58 patients who underwent stapled anastomosis there were 4 failures, 7 (12 per cent) clinical leaks, 14 (24 per cent) radiological leaks and 1 death. Stapled anastomoses were more than ten times as expensive as sutured anastomoses and there were no savings in time or numbers of associated colostomies. An interrupted extramucosal suture technique remains the ultimate standard for low colorectal anastomosis. To assess the value of covering colostomy for patients undergoing low anterior resection for rectal neoplasms.
                Prospective randomised study.
                Two university hospitals, Finland.
                38 patients with air-tight stapled end-to-end anastomoses and complete anastomotic tissue rings were randomly allocated to have a covering colostomy (n = 19) or not.
                Postoperative mortality, anastomotic leaks, reoperations for leaks.
                The clinical leak rate was 24% (9/38) and six patients (16%) had radiological leaks. The total number of leaks (clinical and radiological together) was similar in the two groups, 7/19 compared with 8/19, respectively. There were fewer clinical leaks in the colostomy group (3/19; 16% compared with 6/19; 32%), but the difference was not significant. Reoperations for leaks were necessary more often in patients who did not have a covering colostomy (6/19; 32% compared with 1/19; 5%, p = 0.09). Two patients who did not have a stoma died from the infective complications of their leaks and one died of heart failure in the colostomy group. One patient who had not been given a stoma initially was left with a permanent colostomy after a leak.
                Our results suggest that a covering colostomy does not reduce the leak rate after low anterior resection, but prevents most of the severe infective consequences of the leaks. This study aimed at determining the reoperation rates of patients with anastomoses for Crohn's disease. The outcome of patients undergoing stapled anastomoses was compared with that of patients having hand-sewn anastomoses.
                Sixty-three patients undergoing intestinal resection for Crohn's disease at our institution from 1987 to 1996 were studied in a prospective, randomized trial. The group undergoing stapling comprised 30 patients and 37 anastomoses. The group with a hand-sewn anastomosis comprised 33 patients and 45 anastomoses. The median follow-up period was 87 (range 36-140) months.
                There were no significant differences in operative indications or patients' age and sex between the groups. There was a significant difference in cumulative recurrences between the groups (Cox-Mantel test: p = 0.022).
                A stapled anastomosis after resection for Crohn's disease may delay reoperation in patients with symptomatic recurrence.
                Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel. Different studies have shown that low colorectal and coloanal anastomosis often yield poor functional results. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether a colonic reservoir is able to improve functional results.
                Thirty-eight consecutive patients subjected to low anterior resection were randomized following rectal excision in two groups. One (n = 19) had a stapled straight coloanal anastomosis, and the other (n = 19) had a 10-cm stapled colonic pouch low rectal anastomosis. Median anastomotic distance above the anal verge was 3.38 +/- 0.56 cm and 2.14 +/- 0.36 cm in both groups, respectively. Continence alterations, urgency, tenesmus, defecatory frequency, anal resting and maximum voluntary squeezing pressures, and maximum tolerable volume were evaluated one year later.
                One patient died of pulmonary embolism, and seven presented with a recurrence and were excluded from the study. Stool frequency was greater than three movements per day in 33.3 percent of cases with a reservoir and in 73.3 percent of those with a straight coloanal anastomosis (P < 0.05). Maximum tolerable volume was significantly greater in patients with a reservoir (335 +/- 195) than in those without (148 +/- 38) (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in other variables studied.
                This study shows that some aspects of defecatory function after rectal excision could improve with a colonic reservoir. Eighty-eight cancer patients with the presence of one or more adverse factors for healing (carcinomatosis, adhesions, prior chemotherapy and radiation therapy, bowel obstruction, anemia, and low leukocyte count or albumin value) were prospectively randomized to undergo conventional two-layer hand suturing (45 patients) or mechanical stapling with a GIA/TA instrument (U.S. Surgical Corp., Norwalk, CT) (43 patients) of the large or small bowel anastomosis. Age, sex, complete blood count findings, and all biochemical plasma values were comparable in both groups. The anastomosis took an average of 19 minutes for the sutured and 9 minutes for the stapled technique (P = 0.0001), but the average length of operation, postoperative return of bowel function, and hospital stay were comparable in both groups. Bowel fistula was seen in one case of stapled anastomosis (P = not significant). The pulmonary and wound complication rates were the same in both groups. Of the four deaths (4.5%) due to causes unrelated to bowel anastomosis, three occurred in the stapled and one in the sutured group. It was concluded that a stapled anastomosis is as safe as a sutured one in patients with advanced-stage cancer. It saves time in anastomosis, but does not save time in postoperative return of the bowel function and hospital stay. The authors compared clinical bowel function and complications of a low anterior resection with either a straight or colonic J pouch anastomosis.
                Urgency and frequent bowel movements after rectal resection with a low anastomosis have been related to the loss of rectal reservoir function. Reconstruction with a colonic J pouch possibly can obviate some of this dysfunction. Earlier reports have been favorable, but they must be verified in randomized trials.
                One hundred patients with rectal cancer in whom a sphincter-saving procedure was appropriate were randomized to reconstruction with either a straight or a colonic J pouch anastomosis.
                The incidence of symptomatic anastomotic leakage was lower in the pouch group (2% vs. 15%, p = 0.03). Eighty-nine patients could be evaluated after 1 year. The pouch patients had significantly fewer bowel movements per 24 hours, and less nocturnal evacuations, urgency, and incontinence. Overall well-being owing to the bowel function was rated significantly higher by the pouch patients.
                Reconstruction with a colonic J pouch was associated with a lower incidence of anastomotic leakage and better clinical bowel function when compared with the traditional straight anastomosis. Functional superiority was especially evident during the first 2 months.
Stapled functional end to end ileocolic anastomosis is associated with fewer leaks than handsewn anastomosis.