DOI: 10.36347/sasjs.2024.v10i06.016

Pages: 712-721

Background: Colorectal anastomosis in anterior resection poses a challenge due to the risk of leakage. Surgical staplers offer procedural advantages and a sense of security, but their efficacy compared to conventional hand-sewn techniques remains uncertain, particularly regarding cost-effectiveness. Objective: This study aimed to compare the outcomes of stapled anastomosis versus conventional hand-sewn anastomosis in patients undergoing surgery for rectal cancer, focusing on operative time, anastomotic time, hospital stay duration, and early postoperative complications. Method: This quasi-experimental study was conducted over a period of one and half years from January 2022 to June 2023 in the Department of Surgery, Rajshahi medical college were divided into two groups: stapled anastomosis (Group A) and hand-sewn anastomosis (Group B). Follow-up was conducted after discharge, and data were analyzed using SPSS (version 26.0), with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The stapled group (Group A) demonstrated a statistically significant higher mean monthly income compared to the hand-sewn group (Group B). Operative time exceeding 90 minutes was significantly lower in the stapled group (73.3% vs. 100%). Anastomotic time ≤30 minutes was achieved in 100% of the stapled group versus 46.7% in the hand-sewn group. Postoperative hospital stay duration (>7 days) was significantly shorter in the stapled group (96.7% vs. 100%). Additionally, the stapled group experienced fewer cases of fever (16.3% vs. 46.7%) and wound infection (13.3% vs. 33.3%), with no clinical anastomotic leakage compared to 10% in the hand-sewn group. Conclusions: Stapled anastomosis demonstrated superior outcomes in terms of operative efficiency, postoperative recovery, and early complication rates compared to conventional hand-sewn anastomosis. This suggests that stapled techniques may offer a safer and more efficient alternative in rectal cancer surgeries.