Restoration of myoelectrical propagation across a jejunal transection using microsurgical anastomosis

The aim of this study was to determine whether microsurgical anastomosis ca ll restore propagation of je junal pacesetter potentials (PPs) across a sit e of canine jejunal transection and preserve motility and transit in bowel distal to the transection. A complete jejunal transection with exact micros urgical anastomosis was performed in five dogs, while five dogs with intact jejunum and five dogs with complete transection and end-to-end conventiona l macrosurgical anastomosis were used as controls. Long-term recording elec trodes and intraluminal, open-tipped pressure catheters were implanted in a ll clogs. The mean frequency of PPs decreased distal to the transection in both groups nf: transected dogs. However aborad propagation of PPs across t he anastomosis occurred episodically by 3 months in each dog that had a mic rosurgical anastomosis, but never occurred in any dog with a conventional m acroanastomosis. Moreover, the motility and transit in bowel distal to the transection were unaltered in the dogs with a microsurgical anastomosis, wh ereas they decreased in the dogs with a macroanastomosis. The conclusion wa s that microsurgical anastomosis of transected canine jejunum restored epis odic propagation of PPs across the anastomosis, and preserved motility and maintained transit in bowel distal to the anastomosis. The conventional mac roanastomosis did none of these.