A comparison of the mechanical strength of two stapled anastomosis techniques for equine small intestine.
OBJECTIVE
To compare bursting strength, time of construction, and cost of a closed one-stage, stapled functional end-to-end jejunojejunostomy (FEE) with a stapled side-to-side jejunojejunostomy (STS).


METHODS
Experimental, randomized block design.


METHODS
Seven adult horses without gastrointestinal disease.


METHODS
The jejunum was isolated, and three FEE, three STS, and three control segments were created in each horse using a randomized block design. Anastomosis time was recorded. The intraluminal pressure at failure and mode of failure were recorded. Length at failure was measured on digitized images. Bursting pressure (BP), bursting wall tension (BWT), anastomosis time, and cost were compared.


RESULTS
Control jejunal segments were stronger (P < or = .0001) in bursting strength and bursting wall tension (P < or = .0001) than either anastomosis type; no difference was found between anastomosis types for either variable. Functional end-to-end jejunojejunostomy was significantly quicker and less costly than STS (P < or = .0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Mechanically there were no significant differences between the FEE and STS techniques. The FEE technique maintained the physiologic direction of peristalsis of the segments, required less tissue manipulation, and was faster and more economical to create.


CONCLUSIONS
The FEE is a clinically viable technique.
Bickers
R Jay
RJ
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37901, USA.
Blackford
James T
JT
Eiler
Hugo
H
Rohrbach
Bart
B
D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses / Q000601:surgery*; D007582:Jejunostomy / Q000662:veterinary*; D007583:Jejunum / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D017792:Surgical Stapling / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000662:veterinary*