Experimental Study on the Effects of Hepatopancreatectomy on Wound Healing of Intestinal Anastomoses

Keiichi Okano, Taijirou Tsubouchi, Takashi Maeba, Hajime Maeta

First Department of Surgery, Kagawa Medical School

To investigate the effects of hepatopancreatectomy on wound healing of experimental intestinal anastomoses, the anastomotic bursting pressure, anastomotic hydroxyproline content, serum protin level and histological changes were evaluated. Rats underwent jejunal anastomoses with either a simple laparotomy (control group), 68% hepatectomy (Hx group), 45% pancreatectomy (Px group) or 68% hepatectomy and 45% pancreatectomy (HPx group). The anastomotic bursting pressure was significantly lower in the HPx group on postoperative days (PODs) 3 and 7 than in the control group (p<0.05). The hydroxyproline content was significantly lower inthe Hx, Px, and HPx groups on POD 7 than in the control group (p<0.05). The serum total protein level was significantly lower in the HPx group on POD 3 than in the control group (p<0.001). Histological examination of the anasomoses in the HPx group showed significantly delayed healing and suppression of neutrophil infiltration on POD 1 compared to the other three groups. These results suggest that the suppression of neutrophil infiltration in the anastomoses in the early period and serum protein depletion impaired the healing processs of intestinal anastomoses after hepatopancreatectomy.

Key words
hepatopancreatectomy, wound healing of anastomoses, anastomotic bursting pressure, neutrophil infiltration in anastomoses, serum protein depletion

Reprint requests
Keiichi Okano The First Department of Surgery, Kagawa Medical School
1750-1 Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa, 761-07 JAPAN

Accepted
October 11, 1995

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