[Rehbein anterior resection in the treatment of Hirschsprung's congenital megacolon: Manual or stapler anastomosis - a comparative study].

A prospective study was performed in 26 patients with Hirschsprung's disease operated on between 1984 and 1988 according to Rehbein but with a deep anterior anastomosis with a stapling device. The patients were compared with a group of 48 children with Hirschsprung's disease, operated on between 1978 and 1988, also according to Rehbein, but with a hand-sutured anastomosis. Postoperatively, the anastomosis performed by a stapling instrument that was larger and more elastic than the one sutured by hand. Early and later complications were less frequent in stapler anastomosis. Postoperatively, children with an autosuture anastomosis need a bouginage for 4 weeks (mean) whereas children with a hand sutured anastomosis had to be dilated for 12 weeks. Electromanometric studies in 10 children with a sutured and 8 with an autosutured anastomosis showed no physiological difference. Problems by performing autosuture-anastomosis in newborn with Hirschsprung's disease are discussed.