[Use of present-day suturing instruments in gastrointestinal surgery]

Since 1993, 272 patients underwent surgery on gastrointestinal tract: 92--for gastric ulcer, 79--for duodenal ulcer, 29--for cancer of the stomach, 67--for cancer of the colon, 5--for other diseases. The main operations were resection of the stomach (195), hemicolectomy (23), abdominal-anal and anterior resection of the rectum (44). In 135 patients group 1 all stages of surgery on gastrointestinal tract were performed with "Auto Suture" instruments (USA). In 137 patients group 2 anastomosis was created by two-layer nodal suture with Russian auto-suture instruments (UKL-60, UO-40) during some stages of operation. Postoperative complications occurred in 57 (20.9%) patients: 14 (5.1%) in group 1 and 43 (15.8%) in group 2. Predominant complications were suppuration of the wound (7 and 14 cases, respectively), anastomositis (2 and 10), pneumonia (8--only in group 2), bleeding in anastomotic zone (5--only in group 2). After surgery 7 (2.6%) patients died due to causes not associated with method of surgery or anastomosis creation. Advantages of modern auto-suture instruments in surgery of gastrointestinal tract are demonstrated: reduction of surgery time, simplicity and reliability of anastomosis creation, possibility of use in hard to reach abdominal parts (low anterior resection of the rectum), better postoperative period, a 3-fold decrease of postoperative complications number.