AUTOLOGOUS GASTROINTESTINAL RECONSTRUCTION - THE COMPOSITE ILEOCOLIC LOOP

A reproducible technique was developed experimentally in pigs for cons truction of a 'composite bowel tube' (CBT) made up of ileal mucosa tha t was grafted to a mucosally denuded colonic muscle surface vascularis ed by the colonic mesentery, Macroscopic and microscopic studies at te rminal laparotomy revealed a viable, mucosally lined, patent peristalt ic loop of bowel in six of the eight animals. Two animals died after s loughing the grafted mucosa. In vivo absorption studies, using I-alani ne as an index of-amino acid absorption, showed a transport pattern th rough the grafted mucosa of the composite ileo-colic loop appropriate to ileum when compared with controls, The CBT constitutes another auto logous gastro-intestinal reconstructive technique for redistribution o f available absorptive mucosa over a longer intestinal length, and may therefore be of benefit in the management of the short-bowel syndrome .