Human Oral Mucosal Stem Cells Reduce Anastomotic Leak in an Animal Model of Colonic Surgery

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Anastomotic leak is regarded as one of the most feared complications of bowel surgery; avoiding leaks is a major priority. Attempts to reduce or eliminate leaks have included alternate anastomotic techniques. Human oral mucosa stem cells (hOMSC) are self-renewing and expandable cells derived from buccal mucosa. Studies have shown that hOMSC can accelerate tissue regeneration and wound healing. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether hOMSC can decrease anastomotic leak rates in a murine model of colon surgery. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Two experiments were performed. In the first study, mice underwent colonic anastomosis using five interrupted sutures. hOMSC (<i>n</i> = 7) or normal saline (NS; <i>n</i> = 17) was injected into the colon wall at the site of the anastomosis. To evaluate whether hOMSC can impact anastomotic healing, the model was stressed by repeating the first experiment, reducing the number of sutures used for the construction of the anastomosis from five to four. Either hOMSC (<i>n</i> = 8) or NS (<i>n</i> = 20) was injected at the anastomosis. All mice that survived were sacrificed on postoperative day 7. Anastomotic leak rate, mortality, daily weight, and daily wellness scores were compared. <b><i>Results:</i></b> In the five-suture anastomosis, there were no differences in anastomotic leak rate, mortality, or daily weight. Mice that received hOMSC had significantly higher wellness scores on postoperative day 2 (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05). In the four-suture anastomosis, there was a significant decrease in leak rate (70% [NS] vs. 25% [hOMSC], <i>p</i> = 0.029) and higher wellness scores in mice that received hOMSC (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Our study suggests that injecting hOMSC at the colonic anastomosis can potentially reduce anastomotic leak and improve postoperative wellness in a murine model of colon surgery.

A Continuous Suture Anastomosis Outperforms a Simple Interrupted Suture Anastomosis in Esophageal Elongation

Introduction Long-gap esophageal atresia represents a distinct entity among the esophageal atresia spectrum. In many patients, achieving a reasonable anastomosis depends on some millimeters of tissue. We aimed to determine what effect the suturing technique would have on esophageal ex vivo elongation as it may determine the strength of a primary anastomosis. Materials and Methods In an analysis of porcine esophagi from animals for slaughter (100–120 days old with a weight of 100–120 kg), we determined esophageal length gain of simple continuous and simple interrupted suture anastomoses subjected to linear traction until linear breaking strength was reached. Statistical power of 80% was ensured based on an a priori power analysis using five specimens per group in a separate exploratory experiment. Results The simple continuous suture anastomosis in 15 porcine esophagi ( = 4.47 cm, 95% confidence interval: 4.08–4.74 cm) outperformed the simple interrupted suture anastomosis in another 15 esophagi ( = 3.03 cm, 95% confidence interval: 2.59–3.43 cm) in length gain (Δ = 1.44 cm, 95% confidence interval: 0.87–2.01 cm, p < 0.0001). Conclusion Simple continuous anastomoses achieved higher length gain compared with simple interrupted suture anastomoses. This effect warrants an experimental assessment in vivo to assess its potential merits for clinical applicability.

Sutureless open vascular anastomosis connector: An experimental study

The objective of this study was to assess the safety of a new developed sutureless vascular adapter system in a porcine model. In five pigs, 4-cm-long polyester prosthesis (6 mm diameter) were implanted and anastomosed with the newly developed adapter proximally and suture anastomosis distally. The integration of the adapter was investigated in comparison to the suture anastomosis. These investigations were performed by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Median operative time for performing the adapter anastomosis was significantly shorter compared to suture anastomosis (66 s vs. 246 s, p < 0.05). Median estimated blood loss during adapter anastomosis implementation was 22.5 mL (range 19.0–25.0 mL) compared to 48.2 mL (range 45.4–63.5 mL, p < 0.05). In five hand-sewn anastomoses, overall eight additional stitches were necessary whereas all adapter anastomoses showed primary leak tightness. This in vivo study shows the technical feasibility of the newly developed adapter.