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Walter E. Longo, MD

Arch Surg. 2009;144(5):411-412.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

An anastomotic leak following restoration of intestinal continuity is one of the most dreaded complications following gastrointestinal tract surgery. Disruption of the colorectal anastomosis is a difficult complication that leads to significant morbidity and, at times, death. Since the inception of intestinal anastomoses, surgeons have looked for various methods to try and predict its occurrence prior to the patient's leaving the operating room. Several techniques have evolved to comfort the surgeon that his or her anastomosis is secure from disruption, but mostly center on integrating the anastomosis with an isotonic sodium chloride solution, 10% povidone-iodine, or air insufflation. Although most surgeons today will rely on the instillation of air via the colonoscope to test the anastomosis, data supporting its use as a method of ensuring anastomotic integrity is, at best, inconclusive. This large study of left-sided colorectal anastomoses reveals that, indeed, anastomotic leak testing is beneficial . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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