Rapid and effective wound-healing is of paramount importance to the surgeon and to the patient. Failure of wound-healing generally leads to potentially life-threatening complications, additional surgical procedures, increased length of hospital stay, increased cost, and long-term disability. Although gastrointestinal healing is a topic rarely reviewed in surgical literature, it is an essential aspect of any procedure involving the gastrointestinal tract. Despite many recent advances in surgical technologies, patients continue to suffer from anastomotic disruptions and strictures. These problems translate into an astronomical financial burden on society, and an even greater intangible cost to the patient in terms of disability, discomfort, and diminished quality of life.

Compression Anastomosis, which is a sutureless anastomosis, differs from sutured anastomosis (both manual and stapled) in that it lacks a large number of through-the-wall punctures in anastomosed organs. The compression device, therefore, practically eliminates pathogen infection in the tissue edges of the anastomosis.

A Compression Anastomosis device mechanically squeezes the blood vessels, creating an immediate and almost complete hemostasis whereas in the case of suture anastomosis, platelets create hemostasis by forming a fibrin-based clot, thus lengthening the time to achieve hemostasis.

Compression Anastomosis eliminates the existence of any foreign bodies (sutures, staples) in the healing zone after 7-10 postoperative days, as the clamping element is expelled and therefore eliminates foreign body reaction.

Given the aforementioned reasons, the use of a compression device reduces, or essentially eliminates, the first “lag” phase, thereby facilitating the natural healing process. Healing by fibrous adhesion, without suppuration and formation of granulation tissue, is called “healing by first intention”, “primary adhesion” or “primary union”.

The main difference between healing in Compression Anastomosisis versus healing in stapling is that Compression Anastomosis healing takes place in aseptic conditions through fibrous adhesion, without suppuration and formation of granulation tissue. Thus, tissue healing is accelerated; a shorter transfer time is required between healing phases and quality is better.