[Comparison of five synthetic absorbable suture materials in intestinal anastomosis: experimental study in rats]

The purpose of this experimental study was to evaluate the efficacy of five synthetic absorbable suture materials in intestinal anastomoses in rats together with their interference with the normal physiopathological cicatrization process. The materials analysed were polyglycolic acid (Dexon), polygluconate (Maxon), polydioxanone (PDS), polygalactic acid (Vycril) and Glycomer 631 (Byosin). An anatomopathological study, performed in three groups of rats undergoing postmortem examinations after 6, 20 and 90 days showed that the least interference was caused by Glycomer 631, while polyglycolic acid and polygluconate yielded very good results though giving rise to a greater fibrous component. Polydioxanone and polygalactic acid yielded less satisfactory results. In addition, immunohistochemical techniques were applied to Glycomer 631. The evaluation of the surgical characteristics enabled us to divide the materials studied into two different groups, one in which characteristics such as smoothness and elasticity (Glycomer 631, polygluconate and polydioxanone) prevailed, and the second in which ease of knotting, stitch resistance, memory and lower cost (polyglycolic acid, polygalactic acid and Glycomer 63) prevailed. A general assessment showed better results for polyglycolic acid and Glycomer 631, while the other three materials presented slightly inferior performance, particularly polygalactic acid (inferior stitch resistance).