What is intestinal anastomosis?

Intestinal anastomosis is a type of digestive tract surgery that mainly reconnects the remaining healthy intestinal sections after intestinal resection to restore the continuity of the digestive tract. This procedure is very common in abdominal surgery and is used primarily to treat certain gastrointestinal diseases and injuries.

The procedure of intestinal anastomosis often requires delicate maneuvers by the surgeon. First, the doctor will decide which anastomosis method to adopt based on the condition, which mainly includes end-to-end anastomosis, end-to-side anastomosis or side-to-side anastomosis. After selecting the appropriate anastomosis method, the doctor will use a special intestinal stapler or manual suturing to complete the intestinal connection. During this process, doctors need to ensure that the anastomosis is firm to avoid complications such as anastomotic leakage, bleeding, or obstruction.

The use of staplers is a major advance in modern intestinal surgery. These staplers include circular staplers and linear cutting staplers, which provide more uniform and precise suturing, reduce tissue manipulation, speed up surgery, and potentially reduce the occurrence of postoperative complications. For example, a circular stapler can form two rings of staples and simultaneously cut off the tissue in the rings. It is often used for end-to-end anastomosis or end-to-side anastomosis of the esophagus, stomach, and rectum. The linear cutting stapler is mainly used to cut off and close the rectum. Its length is divided into different specifications from 50-90mm, which can adapt to the needs of intestinal anastomosis in different parts.

The choice of intestinal resection and intestinal anastomosis mainly depends on factors such as the type of disease, location and extent of the lesion. For example, for benign diseases such as intestinal polyps or benign tumors, only a partial intestinal resection is usually required, followed by intestinal anastomosis to reconnect the intestines. For malignant diseases such as advanced colorectal cancer or primary small intestinal malignant tumors, more extensive intestinal resection may be required, and intestinal anastomosis may be used to restore the continuity of the digestive tract.

In addition, intestinal anastomosis is often used to treat some special conditions, such as gastrointestinal perforation, traumatic intestinal rupture, and intestinal obstruction. In these cases, intestinal anastomosis can promptly repair the damaged intestine, restore normal intestinal function, and prevent further deterioration of the condition.

However, intestinal anastomosis also carries certain risks. The occurrence of complications such as anastomotic leakage, bleeding, and obstruction may adversely affect the patient's recovery. Therefore, when performing intestinal anastomosis, doctors need to carefully evaluate the patient's physical condition and surgical risks, and take corresponding preventive measures to reduce the occurrence of complications.

Various intestinal anastomosis techniques can be practiced using our BIX-LV7 intestinal anastomosis model. The nearly real double-layer intestinal module is an ideal choice for learning and practicing intestinal anastomosis technical skills, and can bring hope to more patients.