Surgery Anastomosis Definition and Examples By Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FN linkedin Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FNP-C, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She has experience in primary care and hospital medicine. Learn about our editorial process Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FN Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Scott Sundick, MD on November 11, 2019 linkedin Scott Sundick, MD, is board-certified in general surgery and vascular surgery. Since 2012, he has practiced with The Cardiovascular Care Group in New Jersey. Learn about our Medical Review Board Scott Sundick, MD Updated on January 06, 2020 Print An anastomosis is the surgical joining of two structures that are not typically connected. It's performed during surgery and may be done to repair a defect, to make the anatomy functional again after tissue is removed, or to make treatment possible. PIXOLOGICSTUDIO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty Images Examples An example of treating a defect would be repairing a blood vessel problem that was present at birth and interferes with the way blood flows through the body. In these cases, a cardiothoracic surgeon would perform a procedure that would join the blood vessels together to allow blood to flow better. Another example of an anastomosis would be after a partial colon resection. If a portion of the intestine becomes diseased, it may need to be surgically removed in order to allow the patient to better digest their food and to decrease pain. In this example, a large section of intestine is removed—imagine a three-foot piece of string and cutting out a foot of the length out of the middle—and the remaining ends must be reconnected. The anastomosis part of the procedure would be joining the two pieces of healthy tissue on either side of the resection, creating a newly shortened length of intestine for food and stool to pass through. An arteriovenous fistula, created for dialysis, is an example of a type of surgical anastomosis. For this procedure, a vein and an artery are spliced together, creating a larger blood vessel. This large vessel, when healed, can be used to insert the large dialysis catheter that is used to perform routine hemodialysis. In biliopancreatic diversion, one type of weight loss surgery, an anastomosis is created between a part of the small intestine and the stomach. This bypasses part of the intestine, effectively decreasing the ability of the intestine to absorb calories. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit