The aim of a new study published in the Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques was to determine the long-term effects of laparoscope-assisted heart-shaped anastomosis (LHSA) and to compare it with a more generally applied approach, the laparoscope-assisted Soave procedure (LSP). This retrospective study investigated the symptoms of chronic constipation and soiling in 56 patients after LHSA and 54 patients after LSP between 2005 and 2011. The results showed that constipation was less frequent after LHSA than after LSP. However, there was no difference in the frequency of soiling after LHSA compared with that after LSP. Moreover, on the long-term follow-up, the incidence of constipation after LHSA declined when compared to that after LSP; additionally, soiling showed a satisfactory improvement. From the findings, it was concluded that the improved anastomosis (LHSA) preserves most of the internal anal sphincter, while wide anastomosis prevents stenosis as well. It was stated that using LHSA method to manage the affected bowel provides satisfactory long-term outcomes, that is, avoiding constipation and soiling. Hence, LHSA may provide a new choice for HD operations.¹

Reference

1. Jiao C, Yu D, Li D, Wang G, Feng J. A Long-Term Follow-Up of a New Surgery Method: Laparoscope-Assisted Heart-Shaped Anastomosis for Hirschsprungs Disease. Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques. 2017. doi:10.1089/lap.2017.0275.