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The authors undertook an experimental trial, in order to compare one layer interrupted sutured large bowel anastomosis with that of biofragmentable anastomotic ring (BAR). This device creates an inverted serosa-to-serosa anastomosis. It is designed to fragment after hydrolysis and it is passed within the faeces after healing of the anastomosis. Fourteen dogs were operated on, having been performed 28 anastomoses, 14 with conventional way and 14 with the BAR, both in the same bowel, on alternate sequence and 10cm from each other.Performing time, technical difficulties, postoperative complications and the healing anastomotic quality were studied. Histological examination was done not only by traditional technique but also by using computerized program, in order to measure the amount of inflammatory infiltration at the anastomosis site.All dogs tolerated the operation well and postoperative period was uneventful. At laparotomy, after an average time of 33 days, perianastomotic adherence was mostly noted in the sutured anastomosis. Anastomotic index had no significant difference in both methods, but inflammatory change was mostly detected in sutured anastomosis, on which the amount of edema infiltration was significantly higher.Based on these results, the authors conclude that the BAR anastomosis appears to be a safe alternative, uniform, more rapid and easy technique, with better healing. No difference in the clinical results was noted.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prognostic significance and correlation with staging and degree of cell differentiation of the tumoral expression of the proteins c-erbB-2 and E-cadherin, in patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma. METHODS: The study included 117 patients with an average age of 63.1 years and an average follow-up duration of 28.1 months. The disease-free interval, survival, incidence of recurrence and specific mortality were evaluated. c-erbB-2 anti-oncoprotein antibodies (Dako) were utilized via the streptavidin-biotin technique. Samples were considered to be positive for c-erbB-2 if 10% or more of the tumor cell membranes were stained.The anti-E-cadherin antibodies (Dako), evaluated this protein and is considered positive, if 50% or more of the cell membranes were stained. Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson's chi-squared test, Fisher's exact test, Kaplan-Meier's estimator, the log-rank test and Wilcoxon's test (Breslow version), setting the level of statistical significance at 5% (p