Early experience with biofragmentable anastomosis ring in colon surgery

A biofragmentable anastomosis ring (Valtrac-BAR) was used to construct anastomoses in 20 (group I) consecutive patients (11 women and nine men; mean (SD) age 54.5 (13 years) undergoing elective colonic resection. The results were compared with those of 20 consecutive patients who underwent elective colonic resection in this department during the same period (group II) who had their anastomoses hand-sutured or stapled. There was one death in hospital in each group (5%). There were four anastomotic complications requiring reoperation, leakage (n = 3), and stricture (n = 1) in group I (20%) compared with none in group II. Three patients in each group developed postoperative ileus; these were all initially treated conservatively. In most cases with a ring anastomosis the clinical course was uneventful. We conclude that the biofragmentable ring can be used for different types of colon anastomoses, but so far it has not shown any special advantage over more commonly used anastomotic techniques, and more experience is needed before its routine use can be recommended.