Esophagogastric anastomoses in rats--an experimental model

Esophagectomy with esophagogastric anastomosis is not uncommonly complicated by anastomotic dehiscence. Although this is a major problem in clinical esophageal surgery, laboratory investigation of esophagogastric anastomotic wound healing has been hampered by the lack of a practical rodent model. Researchers have turned to large-animal experiments, or used various upper gastrointestinal pseudo-anastomotic techniques in rodents. None of these approaches has proved to be satisfactory. We report our technique of side-to-side esophagogastric anastomosis in the rat. Using this technique we have overcome the problems encountered in our earlier studies of esophagogastric anastomotic wound healing in the rat.