Structural and morphometric criteria for assessing colonic anastomotic viability under experimentally modelled ischemia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11603/2414-4533.2026.3.16702Keywords:
colon, experimental ischemia, colorectal anastomosis, morphometry, anastomotic leakageAbstract
The aim of the work: to investigate the structural and morphometric features of the colon wall in Vietnamese potbelly pigs in the dynamics of experimental ischemia, in order to substantiate criteria for viability of anastomosed intestinal segments and prevention of colorectal anastomotic leakage.
Materials and Methods. An ischemia model was created by ligation of the caudal mesenteric artery, with histological sampling performed in intact animals and after 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours of ischemia. Specimens were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and examined using a Nikon Eclipse Ni-U microscope. Morphometric analysis included mucosal, submucosal, and muscular layer thickness, crypt depth, goblet cell count, relative area of engorged vessels, and the proportion of destructively altered crypts (M±m, Student's t-test, p<0.05).
Results. A progressive decrease was found in mucosal thickness (by 43.8 % at 24 h), crypt depth (by 47.5 %), and goblet cell count (by 55.8 %), accompanied by an increase in submucosal thickness (by 173.3 %) and the relative area of engorged vessels (by 24.6 percentage points). The most pronounced changes were recorded at 12–24 hours of ischemia. Two interrelated directions of structural remodeling were identified – progressive reduction of mucosal structures and intensifying hemodynamic and inflammatory changes in the submucosa – consistent with existing data on the role of the ischemic component in the pathogenesis of anastomotic leakage.
Conclusions. Colonic ischemic injury follows a distinct time-dependent pattern, with a critical window of up to 180 minutes from the onset of ischemia considered optimal for safe colo-colonic anastomosis formation.
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