Continuous versus interrupted anastomotic technique for the hepaticojejunostomy: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Interrupted sutures is the gold standard technique of hepaticojejunostomy (HJ) for bilioenteric anastomosis. This study compares the safety and early complications of continuous and interrupted suture HJ.

METHODS: A prospective study involving all elective HJ between September 2019 and June 2021 was conducted. Patients with type IV or V biliary strictures, duct diameter less than 8 mm and/or associated vascular injury, and bilateral HJ were excluded. The study patients were divided into two random groups; interrupted and continuous anastomotic technique. Patient demographics, preoperative parameters including pathology (benign vs. malignant), HJ leak, suture time, and postoperative morbidity were recorded.

RESULTS: Total 34 patients were enroled. Eighteen (52.9%) were into interrupted and 16 (47.1%) patients into the continuous group. Both the groups were comparable with regards to demographics, haemoglobin, serum albumin, preoperative cholangitis and biliary stenting. Total three (8.8%) patients in the entire study developed bile leak; interrupted-2 and continuous-1, which was not significant statistically ( P =1.0). Similarly, total number of sutures used and the mean operating time to complete anastomosis in the continuous group was significantly lesser than the interrupted group (2.3±0.5 versus 9.6±1.6, P <0.001) and (16.2±3.1 versus 38.6±9.2 min, P <0.001), respectively. There were three (18.8%) re-exploration in the continuous anastomotic technique. Among them, only one re-operation was due to HJ anastomosis failure without mortality, remaining had re-exploration for bleeding (non-HJ).

CONCLUSIONS: Both the techniques is safe with comparable morbidity. Further, continuous has an added advantage of decreased anastomotic time and cost.