title: Ileocolonic anastomosis: preferred techniques in 999 patients. A multicentric study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is no standard anastomosis technique for performing reconstruction after right hemicolectomy, and, in the literature, studies on ileocolonic anastomosis are rare. The aim of this retrospective work was to analyze the type of anastomosis techniques used and the related results in a multicentric enquiry.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was sent to the departments of surgery covering a 1.8 million inhabitant area to collect data concerning the anastomosis techniques used and the results related to complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data for 999 patients from 14 departments of surgery were collected. 95.8% of the patients were affected by cancer and 4.2% were affected by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The positioning of the anastomosing bowel was side-to-side in 60.5% of the patients, end-to-side (E-S) in 38.1% of the patients and end-to-end in 1.3% of the patients. 46.4% of the anastomoses were handsewn and 53.6% were stapled. The complication rate in the cancer group was 5.1% for handsewn techniques and 4.7% for stapled techniques. The rate of anastomotic leakage was higher in the handsewn group than that in the stapled group (P < 0.05). The data for the IBD group were not statistically relevant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This wide multicentric retrospective analysis showed that there remains variability in ileocolonic anastomosis techniques. Stapled anastomoses are associated with a lower incidence of leakage. In stapled anastomoses, the E-S configuration is also related to a lower incidence of leakage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Science Organ Transplantations and Advanced Technologies, University of Catania, Via del Bosco, 324, 95125, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Puleo
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sofia
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Trovato
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pesce
authors.forename: Teresa R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Portale
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Russello
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Greca
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D057868:Anastomotic Leak / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003082:Colectomy; D003106:Colon / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D045823:Ileus / Q000601:surgery*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017792:Surgical Stapling / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013536:Suture Techniques; D055815:Young Adult