Small bowel anastomosis in rabbits with CO2 laser welding compared with suture repair

    LI Hongª²Tao, YANG Jiª²Qing, WANG Wenª²Ge

    Department of Biomedical Engineering, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi¬ðan 710033, China, Third Department of Surgery, PLA 25 Hospital, Jiuquan 735000, China

    ¡¾Abstract¡¿ AIM: To study the feasibility of utilizing CO2 laser welding in bowel anastomosis and to compare it with sutch repair. METHODS: Thirty rabbits were divided into 2 groups: 4 as shortª²term group, 26 as longª²term group. Then, they underwent anastomosis by using 500 mW CO2 laser and the effects were compared with those by traditional stitch suture. Pressure of anastomotic stoma was measured in the rabbits of shortª²term group. The histopathological changes were observed 3 d, 1, 2, 3 weeks after anastomosis in the rabbits of longª²term group. RESULTS: CO2 laser welding, compared with traditional suture, had some advantages such as simplicity, quickness, the ideal pressure of anastomotic stoma after operation and the reduced inflammatory cells at the early stage. CONCLUSION: These preliminary observation suggests that small bowel anastomosis with CO2 laser may be feasible. ......