Fixation of intestinal tissue using a novel endoscopic device

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Innovation
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Endoscopic fixation devices are crucial for intestinal repair.
• Current methods like sutures and tackers have varying strengths and limitations.
• A novel device, BraceBar, was developed to potentially improve fixation strength and utility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility and fixation strength of the BraceBar endoscopic device in the large intestine.
• To compare the strength of BraceBar fixation against traditional suture and commercially available tacker methods.
• To test the hypothesis that BraceBar offers fixation strength comparable to existing techniques.

Main Methods:

• An ex vivo porcine model was utilized for testing.
• Three fixation methods were compared: BraceBar (Prototype), ProTack (AutoSuture), and TI-CRON suture (Syneture).
• Pull-away strength was measured in 45 trials per method for large bowel segments fixed to abdominal wall tissue.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in fixation strength was observed between the BraceBar and suture groups (P = .1236).
• The BraceBar method showed significantly greater strength compared to the tacker group (P = .003).

Conclusions:

• BraceBar fixation strength is comparable to suture fixation, supporting its consideration for clinical use.
• The BraceBar device shows potential for enabling endoscopic repair of various intestinal conditions.
• This novel device offers a promising alternative for secure and effective large bowel fixation.