Surgeons currently use a number of techniques to suture two pieces of intestine back together during colic surgery, a process referred to as an anastomosis. The seal must be leak-free to avoid complications that can cause future colics or even death, so using the best approach is key. A researcher from Italy recently determined the optimal anastomosis stitch pattern approach at the 2011 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, held Nov. 18–22 in San Antonio, Texas.

Picture an electrical cord cut in half: To repair, the two ends need to be carefully reconnected so the next user does not get shocked or showered in sparks. Colic surgery is a similar situation in which a section of injured or dead intestine needs to be removed during colic surgery. The surgeon must connect the two healthy ends together to form a perfect leak-free seal. Otherwise, intestinal contents and bacteria will leak into the abdominal cavity, causing a life-threatening infection and inciting the production of fibrous tissue bands between all the intestinal organs, which increases the risk for future colic episodes if the horse survives the initial infection.

“Due to the critical condition of patients undergoing colic surgery, the goal is to execute the anastomosis in the shortest time, yet execute the job perfectly so no leakage occurs,” explained Luigi Auletta, DVM, of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Surgery Section, at the University of Studies of Napoli Federico II, Italy. .  To determine the optimal suture (stitch) pattern for anastomosis, Auletta and colleagues collected intestines from horses and placed a rubber tube into two intestinal segments. Air was blown in through one end of each tube and the pressure was measured at the other end.

Then the two pieces of intestine were sutured together using a Lembert single layer, Gambee, or Lembert double layer pattern