Stapling Common Enterotomy Does Not Increase Leak Rates in Stapled Anastomoses

Stapled vs handsewn methods of bowel anastomosis have been extensively studied, however, no study has compared the handsewn vs stapled technique of closing the common enterotomy. Anecdotal concerns of higher leak rates due to crossing staple lines has led some to prefer a handsewn technique for closing the common enterotomy.

Patients undergoing stapled side-to-side enteroenteric and enterocolonic anastomoses in both emergent and elective settings at 1 tertiary center from 2016 to 2020 were studied. 758 patients were included. They were divided into 2 cohorts: Stapled-Stapled (SS) and Stapled-Handsewn (SH) depending on the fashion in which their stapled common enterotomy was closed. Association of anastomotic leak rate overall, in the emergent vs elective setting, and within enteroenteric and enterocolonic anastomotic subgroups was evaluated with both univariate and multivariate analysis. Association with the closure technique, mortality and average operative time was also compared.

Multivariate analysis overall leak rates (SS 5.9% vs SH 3.7%, P = .23) and enteroenteric leak rates (SS 2.9 vs SH 4.1, P = .52) were similar between cohorts. Operative times were significantly shorter in the SS cohort (SS 121.8 min vs SH 138.1 min, P = .049), with a difference of 16.3 min on average. No difference in mortality was seen.

The SH and SS result in similar anastomotic leak rates overall, and the SS technique is significantly faster than the SH technique. We therefore consider the SS technique to be an acceptable, and in the emergent setting, potentially preferred method of anastomotic technique.