Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM: The present study examined the impact of circular stapler size on anastomotic complications, including leakage and stricture in patients undergoing double-stapling technique (DST) anastomosis for left-sided colon or rectal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 403 patients were enrolled in this study, with circular stapler sizes of 25, 28, and 29 mm. RESULTS: A small circular stapler (25 mm) was used in 170 cases (42.2%), and a medium-sized circular stapler (28/29 mm) was used in 233 cases (57.8%). After propensity score matching, there was no marked difference in the incidence of anastomotic leakage/stricture between the groups (13.9% vs. 10.9%, 3.0% vs. 1.0%, respectively). CONCLUSION: The size of the circular stapler was not associated with the incidence of anastomotic leakage or stricture in this cohort.