HEALING OF THE ESOPHAGEAL SUTURE LINE - DOES IT DIFFER FROM THE REST OF THE ALIMENTARY-TRACT

We investigated the healing pattern of the esophageal suture line in r ats. Fifty male wistar rats were divided into experimental (n = 40) an d control (n = 10) groups: The rats in the experimental group underwen t esophogostomy at the abdominal esophagus, which was immediately sutu red, and sacrificed 2, 4, 7 and 14 days later. Esophageal bursting pre ssure and hydroxyproline content were determined in both groups. The m easured bursting pressures in the experimental group on days 2, 4, 7 a nd 14 were (mean +/- SD) 78 +/- 35, 95 +/- 12, 1,163 +/- 98 and 1,224 +/- 22 cm H2O, respectively, and 1,308 +/- 87 cm H2O in the control gr oup (P < 0.05 vs. all the experimental group values). The hydroxyproli ne content in the experimental group on days 2, 4, 7 and 14 were 13.9 +/- 2.1, 12.53 +/- 2.68, 15.6 +/- 0.85 and 17.75 +/- 5.65 mu g/mg, res pectively, and 27.88 +/- 2.5 mu g/mg in the control group (P < 0.05 vs . all the experimental group values). We conclude that the esophagus d emonstrates the same healing pattern as the rest of the alimentary tra ct, but its healing seems to occur at a slower pace.