Model of wound healing for esophagogastric anastomoses in rats.
BACKGROUND
Anastomotic leakage after esophageal surgery is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Postoperative leakage of esophagogastric anastomosis has been reported in 2-30% of surgical patient, resulting in an increased need for reoperation and a high risk of subsequent esophageal stricture formation and fistula. So far, experimental investigations on major factors influencing the healing of esophageal anastomoses, e.g. neovascularization and collagen deposition, have been hindered by the lack of a functional rodent model.


METHODS
We developed a novel technique of gastric tube formation followed by end-to-end esophagogastric anastomosis in a rat model. Standardized anastomoses were carried out in 18 Brown-Norway rats and normal esophagogastric healing was studied by measuring anastomotic breaking strength 5 days after surgery.


RESULTS
Five animals showed an insufficiency of the esophagogastric anastomosis as determined by anastomotic leakage testing. Normal anastomotic healing was found in 10 animals. The anastomotic breaking strength was 1.93 ± 0.45 N.


CONCLUSIONS
The rat model for performing esophagogastric anastomoses after gastric tube formation may serve as a functional and useful model in future research studies on microvascular and molecular processes of anastomotic healing.
Department of General and Abdominal Surgery, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany. daniel.drescher@unimedizin-mainz.de
D G
DG
Drescher
J
J
Vogt
M
M
Gabriel
J
J
Baumgart
C C
CC
Schimanski
H
H
Lang
I
I
Gockel
D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D004947:Esophagus / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN; D013270:Stomach / Q000601:surgery*; D014945:Wound Healing