title: Heart-shaped anastomosis for Hirschsprung's disease: Operative technique and long-term follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the long-term therapeutic effect of "heart-shaped" anastomosis for Hirschsprung's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 1986 to October 1997, we performed one-stage "heart-shaped" anastomosis for 193 patients with Hirschsprung's disease (HD). One hundred and fifty-two patients were followed up patients (follow-up rate 79%). The operative outcome and postoperative complications were retrospectively analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Early complications included urine retention in 2 patients, enteritis in 10, anastomotic stricture in 1, and intestinal obstruction in 2. No infection of abdominal cavity or wound and anastomotic leakage or death occurred in any patients. Late complications were present in 22 cases, including adhesive intestinal obstruction in 2, longer anal in 5, incision hernia in 2, enteritis in 6, occasional stool stains in 7 and 6 related with improper diet. No constipation or incontinence occurred in any patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The early and late postoperative complication rates were 7.8% and 11.4% respectively in our "heart-shaped anastomosis" procedure. "Heart-shaped" anastomosis procedure for Hirschsprung's disease provides a better therapeutic effect compared to classic procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Tongji Hospital Affiliated Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei Province, China. gwang@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Guo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiao-Yi
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Ming-Fa
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Yi-Zhen
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Weng
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D004751:Enteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006627:Hirschsprung Disease / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016055:Urinary Retention / Q000209:etiology