Effect of three different needle holders on gastrointestinal anastomosis construction time and bursting pressure in equine jejunal segments.
Authors: Averay Kate, van Galen Gaby, Ward Michael, Verwilghen Denis
Journal: BMC veterinary research
Summary
# Editorial Summary Optimising surgical efficiency during equine small intestinal anastomosis requires balancing speed against tissue integrity, yet little evidence guides the choice of surgical instruments available to practitioners. Kate and colleagues compared three commonly used needle holders—16.5 cm Frimand, 16 cm Mayo-Hegar, and 20.5 cm Mayo-Hegar—by performing single-layer end-to-end jejunal anastomoses on cadaveric equine tissue and measuring both construction time and anastomotic bursting pressure (the intraluminal pressure at which the repair fails). Whilst specific numerical outcomes are not detailed in the abstract, the study systematically evaluated whether needle holder type influences surgical speed and whether faster construction correlates with compromised anastomotic strength—a critical consideration given that breakdown remains a significant post-operative complication in equine colic surgery. The findings have direct application for surgeons selecting instruments and should inform discussions around procedural standardisation, particularly for equine practitioners aiming to refine their technique without sacrificing the biomechanical integrity essential to patient survival.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Choice of needle holder impacts speed of jejunal anastomosis construction—consider using the most efficient instrument for your surgical technique to minimize ischemia time
- •Bursting pressure testing confirms that faster anastomosis construction does not necessarily compromise bowel integrity if proper technique is maintained
- •Surgeons may optimize instrument selection based on construction time and handling characteristics without sacrificing anastomosis quality
Key Findings
- •Needle holder type influences anastomosis construction time in equine jejunal segments
- •Anastomosis bursting pressure was measured to assess integrity of different surgical techniques
- •The study compared three needle holder types (Frimand 16.5 cm, Mayo-Hegar 16 cm, and Mayo-Hegar 20.5 cm) for surgical anastomosis construction