Reddy RT, Bagrodia A, Mehta K, Vaithiyam V, Mohan SL, Sirohi N, Dalal A, Srivastava S, Sachdeva S. Magnetic compression anastomosis in gastrointestinal and biliary disease: Techniques and clinical applications. World J Gastrointest Surg 2026; 18(8): 121147 [DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.121147]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Venkatesh Vaithiyam, MD, DM, Assistant Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, 1-Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, near Delhi Gate, Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi 110002, Delhi, India. venkateshvaithiyam172@gmail.com
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Gastroenterology & Hepatology
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review-article
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Reddy RT, Bagrodia A, Mehta K, Vaithiyam V, Mohan SL, Sirohi N, Dalal A, Srivastava S, Sachdeva S. Magnetic compression anastomosis in gastrointestinal and biliary disease: Techniques and clinical applications. World J Gastrointest Surg 2026; 18(8): 121147 [DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.121147]
World J Gastrointest Surg. Aug 27, 2026; 18(8): 121147 Published online Aug 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.121147
Magnetic compression anastomosis in gastrointestinal and biliary disease: Techniques and clinical applications
Ravi Teja Reddy, Amit Bagrodia, Kartik Mehta, Venkatesh Vaithiyam, Supraja L Mohan, Nikhil Sirohi, Ashok Dalal, Siddharth Srivastava, Sanjeev Sachdeva
Ravi Teja Reddy, Amit Bagrodia, Kartik Mehta, Venkatesh Vaithiyam, Nikhil Sirohi, Ashok Dalal, Siddharth Srivastava, Sanjeev Sachdeva, Department of Gastroenterology, Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, New Delhi 110002, Delhi, India
Supraja L Mohan, Department of Radiodiagnosis and Interventional Radiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, Delhi, India
Co-first authors: Ravi Teja Reddy and Amit Bagrodia.
Author contributions: Reddy RT and Bagrodia A wrote the original draft, they contributed equally to this article, they are the co-first authors of this manuscript; Mehta K, Vaithiyam V, Mohan SL, and Sachdeva S conceptualized the review and critically revised the manuscript; Vaithiyam V, Sirohi N, and Dalal A contributed to literature review and manuscript drafting; Srivastava S and Sachdeva S supervised the work and performed the final review; and all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: AI tools such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, and Paperpal were used solely for linguistic refinement and formatting assistance. No AI tool was involved in the generation of research data, interpretation of results, or formulation of conclusions. All AI-generated outputs were critically reviewed and revised by the authors.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Venkatesh Vaithiyam, MD, DM, Assistant Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, 1-Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, near Delhi Gate, Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi 110002, Delhi, India. venkateshvaithiyam172@gmail.com
Received: March 17, 2026 Revised: May 11, 2026 Accepted: June 15, 2026 Published online: August 27, 2026 Processing time: 153 Days and 11 Hours
Abstract
Magnetic compression anastomosis (MCA) is an emerging minimally invasive technique that enables the creation of gastrointestinal anastomoses without surgical suturing or stapling. This technique involves the placement of paired magnets across an obstructed or discontinuous lumen, generating localized compression that induces ischemic necrosis of the intervening tissue, and subsequent formation of a neo-anastomotic tract. Over the past decade, MCA has gained increasing attention in the management of complex gastrointestinal and biliary conditions, particularly in patients with refractory benign biliary strictures, esophageal atresia, postoperative anastomotic obstruction, and challenging surgical anatomies. Published studies have reported high technical and clinical success rates in carefully selected patients; however, complications such as restenosis, delayed anastomotic maturation, and magnet-related adverse events remain crucial concerns. Additional prospective studies and standardized procedural protocols are required to better define the optimal indications, safety profiles, and long-term efficacy of MCA for gastrointestinal and biliary interventions. This mini-review summarizes the current available evidence on MCA, including experimental models, technical considerations, magnet design, delivery approaches, and alignment strategies.
Core Tip: Magnetic compression anastomosis is a minimally invasive technique that creates a new lumen by compressing tissue between paired magnets until a tract forms and matures. The strongest clinical evidence exists for completely obstructed benign biliary strictures in which guidewire passage is not possible. Key determinants of successful outcomes include short stricture length, stable magnet alignment, appropriate compression force, and structured postprocedural calibration with dilation or temporary stenting. Although magnetic compression anastomosis is promising, it currently relies mainly on observational studies, and further prospective research is needed to establish standardized indications and long-term outcomes.
