title: Experimental study using PTFE (Goretex) patches for replacement of the oesophageal wall.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate tolerance and integration of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene patches used to replace loss of a fragment of the complete oesophageal wall in rats of the Wistar strain.
  
  
  METHODS
  The experiment was performed on 10 Wistar rats. Those surviving the experiment were killed 7-28 days after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of these animals showed signs of peritonitis. The patch was not visible macroscopically. After examination under the microscope, we observed that the material had undergone phagocytosis by macrophages, and there was scar tissue covering the epithelium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is possible to successfully suture a polytetrafluoroethylene patch to the oesophageal wall in Wistar rats as a prosthetic replacement of a wall fragment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Complejo Hospitalario Juan Canalejo, La Coruña, Spain. gonsaez@canalejo.org
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: González Sáez
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arnal Monreal
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pita Fernández
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Machuca Santa Cruz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004947:Esophagus / Q000601:surgery*; D023421:Models, Animal; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene