[Mechanical sutures in digestive tract surgery: preliminary results (author's transl)]

Intestinal sutures decompose by means of a series of regular steps which can be replaced, from the efficacy, regularity, and rapidity points of view, by a mechanical process. Employing a mechanical suture constitutes a new aspect of digestive tract suturing which requires preliminary training in the use of the method, as strict rules must be followed if a catastrophy is to be avoided. The authors have used different forceps (T.A., G.I.A., and E.E.A.) since 1977, and report the results obtained in 438 patients, including 237 operations for closing visceral sections and 354 anastomoses of all types. An analysis of these results confirms the feasibility and immense value of this new suturing technique.