Anastomotic diameter of circular stapled oesophagojejunal anastomoses and its implication for weight development. A clinical and experimental study.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the increase in diameter of the oesophagojejunal anastomosis after total gastrectomy with a circular stapler, and to assess experimentally the influence of oesophageal diameter on weight.

DESIGN

Open prospective clinical and experimental studies.

SETTING

University department of surgery, Sweden. SUBJECTS AND MATERIAL: 36 Consecutive patients who underwent total gastrectomy, and 13 domestic pigs.

INTERVENTIONS: Clinical study: the end to side oesophagojejunal anastomoses were made with EEA staplers size 25 or 28, and the increase in diameter over a 12 month period was studied by by fibreoptic endoscopy. Experimental study: Each pig had 0.5 cm of the distal oesophagus resected; in 7 the oesophagus was anastomosed with one layer of continuous 3/0 polyglycolic acid, and in 6 an ILS21 stapler was used. Animals were weighed and killed at 4 1/2 months, and the width of the oesophagus at and below the anastomosis was measured.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical study: width of the oesophagus at 12 months. Experimental study: correlation between weight and oesophageal width at time of death.

RESULTS

Clinical study: The median increase in size after 12 months with the size 25 cartridge was 8.45 mm (range 6.5-22), and for the size 28 cartridge 12 mm (2.3-30.2). The larger cartridge gave a significantly larger anastomosis (p = 0.007), but the comparative increases were similar. Experimental study: There was a significant correlation between increase in weight and anastomotic width in the 10 pigs that completed the study (r = 0.86, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

A stapled oesophagojejunal anastomosis has the ability to dilate as necessary, and this ability is not prejudiced by the presence of the staples.