THE IMPACT OF LOW-RESIDUE ENTERAL FEEDING ON THE HEALING OF COLONIC ANASTOMOSES

This study was carried out with the aim of comparing colonic anastomos is cicatrization in rats fed either standard rat chow or a low-residue enteral diet. Energy intake, the evolution of body weight, fecal weig ht, macroscopic and microscopic evaluation of the anastomoses, anastom otic bursting pressure, and collagen concentration in the anastomotic tissue were all evaluated. Anastomotic complications were more common among the animals fed standard rat chow, and cicatrization was more in flammatory than in the rats given a low-residue enteral diet. Although the latter was more effective in preventing anastomotic complications , it resulted in a lower gain in collagen and hence a diminished resis tence to the increase in intraluminal pressure associated with the adm inistration of such diets. Colonic contents, including the fecal bolus and bacteria, may be held responsible for the increased number of com plications, the augmentation of collagen content, and the improvement in the resistance to intraluminal pressure.