title: [Experiences with 169 mechanical colorectal anastomoses (1981-1984)].
abstract: An account is given of 169 rectal anastomosis performed with the EEA-stapler between 1981 and 1984 in the Municipal Hospital Waid of Zurich. The average age of the patients was 63.8 years. 71.6% of the operations have been performed because of a rectosigmoidal carcinoma (50.4% of them with lymph node metastasis) and 28.4% because of a benign rectal disease. 44.4% of the anastomosis were localized at 3.5 to 7 centimeter, 34.9% between 7.5-11 and 20.7% higher than 11 centimeter above the anus. We used the biggest loading unit of 31 millimeter diameter in 89% of all cases. A primary anastomotic insufficiency was discovered intraoperatively in 6.5% (anastomosis sutured or redone). 3.1% of the patients had a temporary colostomy. We found a 4.3% rate of secondary anastomotic insufficiency. All those colo-cutaneous fistula healed spontaneously. Non specific complications as thromboembolism, urinary or wound infection and others were detected in 31.3% of the cases. We found a perioperative mortality rate of 2.5% with no intraoperative deaths. 91.4% of the patients had a follow-up over 2-5 years. There was a need of dilatation of anastomotic stenosis in 2.5% of the cases within the first 4-8 postoperative months. 40.2% of the cancer patients died during their follow-up, two thirds of them within the first two years. The local recurrence rate after 2-5 years of the cancer patients who were operated curatively was 22.3% and 10.7% for distant metastasis. 60.2% were disease free. 54.5% of the recurrent disease was found in patients with primary tumors stage Dukes C2 and D.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wehrli
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akovbiantz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D012086:Reoperation; D012811:Sigmoid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D013528:Surgical Staplers
vernacular_title: Erfahrungen mit 169 maschinellen kolorektalen Anastomosen (1981-1984).