[Continent colostomy through free transplantation of autologous colon muscles]

The study is concerned with a problem which is to a great extent still surgically unsolved, namely that of the incontinent hollow organ occlusion. We report on our own experiments on animals and on physiologicofunctional studies, which reveal the suitability of the smooth muscles as an ideal material for sphincter replacements. By histologic research it became obvious that autotransplantations of smooth muscles, carried out for the first time by the Department of Surgery of the University of Würzburg, are possible without significant tissue changes. The transplant is soon supplied by vessels which sprout ubiquitously and completely permeate it so that it can take over its function as sphincter. Meanwhile, the experience gained in experiments on animals has been transferred to surgery on humans. Incontinence and incontinence of the preternatural anus were eliminated in the first operations using autologous autotransplanted sphincteroplasties.