Intestinal anastomoses in children: The draft decision of the Russian Symposium of Children surgeons (April 2023)

The Symposium of Pediatric Surgeons of Russia, Intestinal Anastomoses in Children, was conducted in Volgograd on April 26, 2023, with around 180 doctors in attendance. Thirty papers were presented and discussed, and 41 articles were published in the proceedings of the symposium. According to the results of a systemic analysis of a questionnaire poll of major pediatric surgeons in 75 regions of Russia, 4,558 surgeries on intestinal anastomosis formation were performed in 20212022, including 1,735 operations in newborn children (36%); their share in general pediatric surgery was less than 0.6%, and it was more than 18.6% in neonatal surgeons. The number of intestinal anastomoses formed during laparoscopic procedures increased (4.4%). Pediatric surgeons equally often used double-row nodal intestinal sutures (33.3%), single-row continuous sutures (34.6%), and different types of sutures (33.3%). A T-shaped anastomosis was performed in cases of necrotizing enterocolitis where there was a significant difference in the diameters of the intestine's inflow and outflow channels. The clip-and-drop technique was used to treat neonates with multifocal necroses. Interintestinal anastomoses were favored over enterostomies in numerous segmental resections. For duodenal obstruction, duodeno-duodenal, and duodeno-jejunal anastomoses were performed. In children with Crohn's disease and choledochal cysts, most specialists prefer operations with stapling devices. Creating a magnetic interintestinal anastomosis lowers the risk of postoperative complications and facilitates the postoperative period. Clinical observations after laparoscopic surgeries accounted for a significant proportion of complications (66%). Anastomosis failure was three times more common in planned small intestinal in older children than in emergency surgeries (1.2 and 0.4%, respectively). The modern stage of development of intestinal anastomosis formation techniques in children is characterized by good results, the expansion of indications for intestinal anastomosis in conditions of compromised colon or peritonitis, and the introduction of laparoscopic techniques and mechanical stapling devices with slightly poorer results.