Objective: To investigate the effect of anastomosis suture on the postoperative recurrence in patients with Crohn disease(CD).
Methods: A total of 102 patients undergoing intestinal resection for CD at the Jinling Hospital of Nanjing University School of Medicine from Jan. 2002 to Jan. 2010 were studied retrospectively. The postoperative recurrence(endoscopic and clinical) in patients receiving intestinal anastomosis with VICRYL absorbable suture(n=48) was compared with that of patients sewn with normal silk suture(n=54).
Results: The 1-, 2-, and 3-year accumulated clinical recurrence rates in the absorbable suture group and silk suture group were 6.3%, 14.6%, 22.9%, and 18.5%, 27.8%, 35.2%, respectively. The differences were not statistically significant(P=0.213). The 1- and 2-year accumulated endoscopic recurrence rates in the absorbable suture group and silk suture group were 14.7%, 38.2% and 22.9%, 62.9%, respectively. The differences were statistically significant(P=0.034).
Conclusions: Compared to silk suture, use of absorbable suture for anastomosis may lower the risk of postoperative endoscopic recurrence after bowel resection in patients with CD. Absorbable suture should be the first choice for intestinal anastomosis in CD patients.