Kono-S anastomosis after intestinal resection for Crohn's disease

Kono-S anastomosis was described for the first time in 2011 and it showed a lower surgical recurrence rate in patients with Crohn's disease when compared to the standard technique. The aim of this review is to assess the safety and effectiveness of this surgical procedure by analyzing the data existing in the literature.

Pubmed, EMBASE and Scopus databases were used as data sources for a systematic comprehensive search of all studies where Kono-S anastomosis was performed in patients with Crohn's disease. Perioperative data and clinical outcomes were measured.

Five studies described the use of Kono technique to restore intestinal continuity. Postoperative complications rates seem to be acceptable, with the exception of one case regarding the surgical site infection and bowel obstruction rates of one of the studies compared to the others. Surgical recurrence rate ranges from 0 to 3.4% with significant differences between Kono-S anastomosis and other techniques in the only two existing comparative studies.

Kono's anastomosis seems to be a safe procedure with encouraging results on the reduction of the need for reoperation due to relapse, but the few existing studies do not allow to draw final conclusions. Further comparative, randomized studies, with appropriate sample size, follow up and endoscopic evaluation are necessary to establish the real benefits in the use of this hand-sewn antimesenteric anastomosis compared to a stapled wide lumen side-to-side anastomosis.