Comparative wound healing of intestinal anastomosis: high-frequency electric welding vs suture in a rabbit model

This study aimed to comparatively evaluate the tissue healing characteristics of High-Frequency Electric Welding (HFEW) versus conventional suture techniques in intestinal side-to-side anastomosis using an animal model.

Intestinal side-to-side anastomoses were performed in New Zealand White rabbits using HFEW and hand-sewn techniques. Intraoperative assessment focused on procedure duration, hemostasis, and immediate anastomotic strength. Postoperative monitoring tracked vital signs, physiological parameters, healing progression (assessed via burst pressure), histopathological features, and inflammatory cell infiltration.

HFEW application reduced surgical duration and postoperative bleeding. Healing progression was comparable between HFEW and Suture groups. At 1 week postoperatively, vital signs and tissue strength normalized in experimental animals, with necrotic tissue replaced by regenerated tissue; Suture group specimens exhibited elevated inflammatory cell infiltration. By week 2, tissue strength further improved, inflammation subsided, and tissue morphology advanced. At 4 weeks, pathological structures in both HFEW and Suture groups closely resembled normal tissue. Compared with sutures, HFEW has advantages in terms of operating time and blood loss. During the postoperative healing phase, HFEW can effectively reduce the inflammatory response and accelerate healing.

Postoperative healing with HFEW-based intestinal repair demonstrates comparability to manual suturing, while exhibiting reduced complication rates - offering residue-free foreign body anastomosis solution for laparoscopic surgery.