Quality of life following ostomy reversal with purse-string vs linear skin closure: a systematic review.

The importance of the defunctioning stoma on minimizing anastomotic leak in colorectal surgery is well established. However, a defunctioning stoma can substantially impact on quality of life (QoL). Circumferential purse-string approximation (PSA) and linear skin closure (LSC) are the most commonly performed surgical technique for reversal of stoma. The aim of this review was to systemically review and meta-analyze available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing PSA and LSC.