Reinforcement sutures significantly lower risk of anastomotic leakage.

A meta-analysis found that using reinforcement sutures during double-stapling anastomosis in rectal cancer surgery effectively reduced the incidence of anastomotic leakage (AL) and reoperation rates. The analysis included one randomized controlled trial and eight observational studies, yielding an odds ratio of 0.29 for AL, indicating a substantial decrease in risk. Although promising, the findings underscore the need for larger-scale randomized controlled trials to further validate these benefits and assess long-term efficacy.