What is the purpose of a bowel anastomosis?

The purpose of a bowel anastomosis is to restore continuity between bowel segments that may have been disrupted due to disease, injury, or surgical resection. This surgical procedure involves connecting two segments of the intestine, allowing the passage of contents through the digestive tract without obstruction. After conditions such as bowel resection for cancer or inflammatory bowel disease, creating an anastomosis ensures the functionality of the gastrointestinal system is maintained, enabling normal digestive processes to continue.

While other options touch on important functions or aspects of the bowel, the principal objective of a bowel anastomosis is centered around re-establishing the continuity of the bowel, which is essential for re-establishing normal intestinal function following an intervention that disrupts it.