Surgical anastomosis
A surgical anastomosis is a surgical technique used to make a new connection between two body structures that carry fluid, such as blood vessels or bowel. For example, an
colonic anastomosis is used to restore colonic continuity after the resection of colon cancer
.
A surgical anastomosis can be created using suture sewn by hand, mechanical staplers and
biological glues, depending on the circumstances. While an anastomosis may be end-to-end, equally it could be performed side-to-side or end-to-side depending on the circumstances of the required reconstruction or bypass. The term reanastomosis is also used to describe a surgical reconnection usually reversing a prior surgery to disconnect an anatomical anastomosis, e.g. tubal reversal after tubal ligation
.
Medical uses
- Blood vessels: organ transplants require vascular anastomoses. An anastomosis connecting an artery to a vein is also used to create an arteriovenous fistula as an access for hemodialysis.[citation needed]
- Gastrointestinal (GI) tract:
- Urinary tract: radical cystectomy both require anastomosis of the bladder to the urethra in order to restore continuity.[citation needed]
- Microsurgery: The advent of microsurgical technique allowed anastomoses previously thought impossible, such as so-called "nerve anastomoses" (not strictly an anastomosis according to the above definition), and operations to restore fertility after tubal ligation or vasectomy.[citation needed]
Fashioning an anastomosis is typically a complex and time-consuming step in a surgical operation, but almost always crucial to the outcome of the procedure.
