Anastomotic Technique—How to Optimize Success and Minimize Leak Rates

Determining when to perform a bowel anastomosis and whether to divert can be difficult, as an anastomosis made in a high-risk patient or setting has potential for disastrous consequences. While the surgeon has limited control over patient-specific characteristics, the surgeon can control the technique used for creating anastomoses. Protecting and ensuring a vigorous blood supply is fundamental, as is mobilizing bowel completely, and employing adjunctive techniques to attain reach without tension. There are numerous ways to create anastomoses, with variations on the segment and configuration of bowel used, as well as the materials used and surgical approach. Despite numerous studies on the optimal techniques for anastomoses, no one method has prevailed. Without clear evidence on the best anastomotic technique, surgeons should focus on adhering to good technique and being comfortable with several configurations for a variety of conditions.

A comparative study of suturing technique of intestine between extra-mucosal single layer interrupted and continuous all layers: a single center experience

Background: Gastrointestinal anastomosis has been excited interest in our day to day surgical practice. We have compared efficacy, advantages, disadvantages, and complications following intestinal resection-anastomosis using extra-mucosal interrupted single layer suturing or continuous all layer suturing.Methods: This comparative study included 50 cases (either in emergency or elective undergoing bowel resection and anastomosis), comprising of 2 Groups (25 cases in each Group) between January 2019 to June 2021 at Midnapore Medical College and Hospital. Patients data, operative findings, duration of anastomosis and length of hospital stay, post-operative complications of all patients were followed till discharge.Results: Our comparative study have shown that- the mean duration for intestinal anastomosis in Group A (extra-mucosal interrupted single layer) and Group B (continuous all layers) were 21.43 minutes and 14.35 respectively. Considering duration of the anastomosis continuous all layers intestinal anastomosis appears to represent in shorter duration, anastomotic leak was noted in 3 patients (6%). Anastomotic leak was observed in 1 patient extra-mucosal interrupted single layer bowel anastomosis whereas two patients in the Group of continuous all layered bowel anastomosis had leak (p value 0.5-not significant) and the mean duration of hospital stay in the Group A and Group B were 7.32 days and 7.92 days respectively. (p value -insignificant).Conclusions: Duration required to perform a continuous all layer bowl anastomosis is lesser when compared to an extra-mucosal interrupted single layer intestinal anastomosis. There is no significant difference in complications, final outcome and duration of hospital stay between two Groups.

Surgical Skills Olympiad: A 4-Year Experience in a General Surgery Residency Program

Background The acquisition of operative skills is the critical defining component of general surgery training. Performing simulated tasks has been shown to increase a resident's technical skills. As such, we devised the Surgical Skills Olympiad, an annual simulation-based skills competition. We examined our 4-year experience with the Olympiad at a large academic general surgery residency program. Objective This study aimed to use competition to motivate trainees to increase the time they spent practicing basic surgical skills, resulting in improved performance over time. Methods Teams were formed from members of each postgraduate year (PGY) class. Competition tasks were level specific: knot tying for PGY-1, basic laparoscopy for PGY-2, handsewn bowel anastomosis for PGY-3, vascular anastomosis for PGY-4, and advanced laparoscopy for PGY-5. Task scores over a 4-year period (2014–2017) were analyzed and a survey of participating teaching faculty was conducted. Results Ten faculty members responded to the survey, for a response rate of 63%. A total of 50% respondents felt that the caliber of surgical skills increased since the Olympiad was implemented. Ninety percent agreed that the Olympiad was beneficial for residents to assess their skills against their peers. Over 4 years, there was an improvement in scores for suturing task, advanced laparoscopy, and bowel anastomosis (p < 0.05 for all three). Conclusion A residency-wide surgical skills competition can improve resident performance in technical tasks and promote faculty engagement in resident skills training.