title: Clinical efficacy of the stapled anastomosis in esophageal reconstruction.
abstract: We have clinically evaluated Russian and American stapling devices used for esophageal reconstruction and compared the results following stapled anastomosis with those following hand-sutured procedures, both performed by the same surgeon. With the Russian stapler, anastomoses performed in 17 patients with carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus resulted in only one (5.9%) anastomotic leak; in 12 hand-sutured anastomoses and in 11 anastomoses done with an American stapler, no anastomotic complication occurred. Thus, a long gastric tube with good blood supply is of paramount importance, and if the technical details of surgical stapling can be overcome, a stapled anastomosis appears to be as safe as a manual suturing for patients undergoing esophageal reconstruction.
mesh_terms: D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D004944:Esophagoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D013270:Stomach / Q000601:surgery*; D013528:Surgical Staplers / Q000592:standards*; D013537:Sutures / Q000592:standards; D014586:USSR; D014481:United States