Anastomosis

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An anastomosis (plural anastomoses) refers to a form of network in which streams both branch out and reconnect. For instance, conventional accounts of evolutionary lineage present themselves as the simple branching out of species into novel forms. Under anastomosis, species might recombine after initial branching out, such as in the case of recent research which shows that humans and chimpanzees may have interbred after an initial branching out.<ref>Genetic evidence for complex speciation of humans and chimpanzees, 2006</ref>

A second case in which the idea of anastomosis finds application is in the theory of Symbiogenesis, in which the emergence of new forms of life (species) are seen to be emergent from the formation of novel symbiotic relationships.

In medicine, anastomosis is the surgical connection of two structures.<ref>Medical Terminology Systems: A Body Systems Approach, 2005</ref> It commonly refers to connections between blood vessels or connections between other tubular structures such as a loops of intestine. For example, when a segment of intestine is resected, the two remaining ends are sewn or stapled together (anastomosed), and the procedure is referred to as an intestinal anastomosis.

1 Circulatory anastomoses
2 Surgical anastomoses
3 Others
4 Footnotes
5 References

[edit] Circulatory anastomoses

See circulatory anastomosis

[edit] Surgical anastomoses

See surgical anastomoses

[edit] Others

A pathological anastomosis can result from trauma or disease and may involve veins, arteries, or intestines. These are usually referred to as fistulas. In the cases of veins or arteries, traumatic fistulas usually occur between artery and vein. Traumatic intestinal fistulas usually occur between two loops of intestine (enetero-enteric fistula) or intestine and skin (enterocutaneous fistula).