Pig Anastomosis Model
Duration of study - 3 to 7 days
Lead time – 30 days
Standard results – Gross Observations, Histology, Anastomosis Burst Pressure, Tensile Testing
MODEL UTILITY:
The pig anastomosis model is used for screening test materials for their ability to aid in the healing of a transverse colon anastomosis.
HOW THE MODEL WORKS:
In this model, an abdominal incision is made to access the peritoneal cavity. The transverse colon is isolated and incised at two locations, at least 20 cm apart. Then, the two anastomoses are made by suturing the transverse colon back together to their respective ends. The test material may be delivered at any time before abdominal closure, dependent upon the material's mode of action. The abdominal incision is then repaired and the animal allowed to recover for a predetermined amount of time.
At the end of the protocol, the animal is euthanized and gross observations of the anastomoses are taken. The anastomoses are then harvested for testing. One anastomosis is used for tensile testing and histology, while the other is used for burst pressure analysis only.
EXAMPLE DATA:
Figure 1. A burst test measuring the Median PSI at the time of failure.
Figure 2. A burst test measuring the median volume of air at time of failure.
Figure 3. Primary Failure Load mean values for tensile strength testing both raw and normalized by specimen width.
ADVANTAGES:
The advantages of this model include the flexibility of several modes of action for assessing test material function, while the use of two anastomoses allows room for multiple types of results data.
DISADVANTAGES:
Because of the surgical complexity of this model, it is not suited for high-throughput screening of test technologies.