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A comparison of interrupted and continuous sutures for tracheal anastomoses in sheep
Matthias Behrend1, Eva Kluge, Wolfgang Schüttler
1Klinik für Viszeral- und Transplantationschirurgie, Hannover, Germany. behrend@chir.uhl.uni-freiburg.de
Objective:
To study the tensile strength of tracheal anastomoses.
Design:
Experimental study.
Setting:
University medical school laboratory, Germany.
Animals:
15 sheep.
Interventions:
Tracheal anastomoses with three different suturing techniques: a continuous suture and interrupted sutures with either a monofilament or a polyfilament material. Anastomoses were tested to breaking after being in place for 1, 2, 4, 8 or 24 weeks.
Results:
After one week, with all three materials, the trachea broke at the anastomosis. In animals that survived longer, the trachea broke further away from the anastomosis. There was no significant difference between the mean values of the breaking force for continuous sutures and single interrupted sutures (p = 0.9).
Conclusion:
The suturing technique (continuous or interrupted) has less relevance for the tensile strength of the anastomosis than in vitro experiments suggest.