ESOPHAGOJEJUNOSTOMY WITH MANUAL SINGLE-LAYER SUTURING AFTER A TOTAL GASTRECTOMY FOR GASTRIC-CANCER

Background: We wished to verify the clinical usefulness of manually pe rformed single layer suturing for an esophagojejunostomy after a total gastrectomy versus stapled suturing. Methods: We compared retrospecti vely 24 patients who underwent manual single layer suturing with 38 pa tients who underwent stapled suturing. Results: Anastomotic leakage wa s seen in one patient (4%) with single layer suturing and one patient (3%) with stapled suturing. No anastomotic stenosis was seen in the pa tients with single layer suturing. There was no difference in the oper ative time, blood loss, postoperative days for oral intake, or the len gth of hospital stay between the patients with single layer suturing a nd those with stapled suturing. Conclusions: Manual single layer sutur ing is considered to be as safe as stapled suturing and is also though t to be clinically useful in reducing anastomotic failure for esophago jejunostomy. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.