Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026
Orthotopic Small Bowel Transplantation in Rats
Published on: November 6, 2012
Modified Paul-Mikulicz ileostomy in a Swine model of isolated small bowel transplantation
Ming-Shian Tsai1, Wen-Hsi Lin, Wen-Ming Hsu
1Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
Background:
Intestinal transplantation (ITx) is a life-saving procedure for patients with intestinal failure. The poorer outcome of ITx than of other organ transplantation, however, warrants more clinical and basic research on ITx. Herein, we developed a modified Paul-Mikulicz ileostomy procedure in a swine model of ITx, and investigated its feasibility for obtaining intestinal samples of both the graft and the recipient.
Materials And Methods:
We performed ITx in 10 pairs of piglets, each weighing 15-20 kg. Procurement included an isolated segment of the small bowel, constituting a model of a living, related donor surgery. The recipient procedures included end-to-end anastomosis of vascular stumps, a proximal jejuno-jejunal anastomosis, and a distal modified Paul-Mikulicz ileostomy. The procedure differed from the classic Paul-Mikulicz ileostomy in that a common channel was created in a side-to-side fashion.
Results:
Vascular thrombosis occurred in three pigs, resulting in immediate loss of the graft. All other pigs underwent ITx successfully and survived for at least 1 wk (7-180 d). No pig experienced anastomotic leaks, ileus, or stoma-related complications. Moreover, this technique enabled us to obtain tissue samples of both the graft and the native ileum without disturbing the natural bowel conduit.
Conclusions:
The modified Paul-Mikulicz ileostomy was feasible in a swine model of ITx. It facilitated the collection of intestinal samples of both the graft and the recipient.
