title: Colorectal anastomotic stenosis after elective laparoscopic sigmoidectomy for diverticular disease: a prospective evaluation of 68 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This prospective study was designed to find the incidence of symptomatic anastomotic stenosis after elective laparoscopic sigmoidectomy for diverticular disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-eight patients who underwent elective laparoscopic sigmoidectomy with double-stapling colorectal anastomosis between November 1998 and June 2007 were included. Follow-up after hospitalization was performed by using sequential rectoscopy for all patients. Symptomatic patients with anastomotic stricture were treated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No patient died postoperatively and no patient had anastomotic leak or abdominal septic complication. Twenty-two patients (32 percent) had postoperative symptoms that suggested anastomotic stenosis; 12 of them (17.6 percent) eventually needed dilatation of their anastomosis (median diameter of the stenosis: 7 mm) a mean time of 176 days postoperatively. Eight patients had only one session, three patients had two sessions, and one patient had three sessions. There were no complications and all patients were symptom-free after dilatation. Age, sex, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and vascular preservation had no influence on the risk of anastomotic stenosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Incidence of symptomatic anastomotic stenosis after elective laparoscopic sigmoidectomy is high (17.6 percent). No risk factor could be identified. Endoscopic dilatations were successful without complication in all cases. Regular rigid rectoscopy definitely should be part of the postoperative follow-up in symptomatic patients.
authors.affiliation: Clinique Générale Beaulieu, 4, rue Emile Yung, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland. p_ambrosetti@bluewin.ch
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ambrosetti
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.forename: Reymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Peyer
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Frossard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology; D012809:Colon, Sigmoid / Q000601:surgery*; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D004106:Dilatation; D004239:Diverticulitis, Colonic / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012007:Rectum / Q000473:pathology