Endoscopic intestinal bypass creation by using self-assembling magnets in a porcine model

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Endoluminal gastrointestinal (GI) bypass is desirable for obstruction, obesity, and metabolic syndrome.
• A novel technology using miniature self-assembling magnets, the Incisionless Anastomosis System (IAS), creates large-caliber anastomoses.
• This study evaluates the procedural aspects and long-term outcomes of IAS deployment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and safety of the Incisionless Anastomosis System (IAS) for creating endoluminal GI bypass.
• To evaluate the procedural characteristics, anastomotic integrity, and patency of IAS-generated anastomoses.
• To determine the long-term histological effects and foreign body presence after IAS deployment.

Main Methods:

• A 3-month survival study was conducted in Yorkshire pigs (5 intervention, 3 control).
• Simultaneous enteroscopy/colonoscopy was performed under intravenous sedation for IAS magnet deployment.
• Endoscopic monitoring, necropsy, and histological evaluation assessed anastomosis creation, patency, and integrity.

Main Results:

• Endoscopic bypass using IAS magnets was technically successful in 100% of pigs.
• Patent, leak-free jejunocolonic anastomoses were created within 4 days, with magnet expulsion by day 12.
• At 3 months, anastomoses remained fully patent (3.5 cm diameter), with no adhesions or inflammation, and pigs showed normal weight trends.

Conclusions:

• The Incisionless Anastomosis System (IAS) enables safe, rapid, large-caliber, leak-free endoscopic intestinal bypass.
• This foreign body-free method, performed under sedation, demonstrates excellent long-term anastomotic integrity.
• IAS technology presents a promising minimally invasive approach for GI bypass procedures.