Anastomotic Leaks After Small- and Large-Bowel Surgery: Diagnostic Performance of CT and the Importance of Intraluminal Contrast Administration.

Objective: The objective of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of CT in the identification of anastomotic leaks.

Materials And Methods: This was a study of patients who underwent bowel surgery and a subsequent postoperative CT examination performed specifically for investigating for an anastomotic leak. The study group included patients with surgically confirmed anastomotic leaks (n = 59), and the control group included patients without anastomotic leaks (n = 48) confirmed by either repeat surgery or uneventful clinical follow-up for at least 6 months.