title: Advanced age alone does not suppress anastomotic healing in the intestine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Because retrospective clinical studies yield conflicting results and experimental data are completely absent, this study was performed to determine whether anastomotic repair in the intestine deteriorates with age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ileal and colonic anastomoses were constructed in two groups of healthy rats, ages 2 to 3 months and 27 to 30 months, respectively. Healing was assessed, both 3 and 7 days after operation, by measuring anastomotic bursting pressure, breaking strength, and collagen content, the latter both biochemically (hydroxyproline) and morphometrically. In addition, the ex vivo collagen synthetic capacities were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The development of anastomotic strength was similar in young and old rats; average strength increased from 3 to 7 days and was never lower in the older animals. This was true for both bursting pressure and breaking strength. The collagen production capacity was suppressed in the old rats, particularly in the ileum (p < 0.05), whereas the synthesis of noncollagenous protein remained unaltered. However, this did not result in a reduced accumulation of collagen in the anastomotic area--both anastomotic hydroxyproline content and the volume percentage of collagen in the actual wound area were unchanged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Advanced age per se does not affect development of strength or deposition of collagen during early repair of intestinal anastomoses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Hospital Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Stoop
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dirksen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hendriks
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D000818:Animals; D003106:Colon / Q000601:surgery*; D007082:Ileum / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D014945:Wound Healing