Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026
Murine Ileocolic Bowel Resection with Primary Anastomosis
Published on: October 29, 2014
Stapled versus hand sewn anastomoses in patients with small bowel injury: a changing perspective
J D Witzke1, J J Kraatz, J M Morken
1Department of Surgery, Hennepin County Medical Center, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis 55415, USA.
Introduction:
Recent studies indicate that trauma patients with hollow viscus injuries requiring anastomosis who are managed with stapling have a higher rate of complications than do those in whom a hand-sewn anastomosis is used. We undertook this study to determine whether this finding applied to patients with small bowel trauma at our institution.
Methods:
Records of patients with small bowel injuries were retrospectively reviewed. Demographics, severity of injury, injury management, and outcome data were collected.
Results:
Patients who had their small bowel injuries managed by hand-sewn repair versus resection and stapled anastomosis demonstrated a nonsignificant decrease in overall complication rate (35% vs. 44%) and rate of intra-abdominal complication (10% vs. 18%). Yet the rate of intra-abdominal abscess formation was significantly lower with hand-sewn repair than with resection and stapled anastomosis (4% vs. 13%). However, when hand-sewn primary repairs were excluded from the analysis and injuries that required resection and either stapled or hand-sewn anastomosis were compared, there was a similar overall complication rate (41% vs. 41%) and rate of intra-abdominal complications (17% vs. 21%).
Conclusion:
The rate of intra-abdominal complications did not differ significantly between patients requiring small bowel resection and reanastomosis managed by either a stapled or hand-sewn technique. In our experience, surgical stapling devices appear to be safe for use in repairing traumatic small bowel injury.
