Necessity for end colostomy with transection of the descending colon in guinea pigs

Surgical procedures for resection and transection of the descending colon in the guinea pig were studied. Wedge resection with removal of less than 1 cm diameter of tissue resulted in an 80% (8 of 10 guinea pigs) survival rate. Colonic transection with restorative anastomosis, either end-to-end or side-to-side, resulted in a 94% (35 of 37 guinea pigs) death rate due to colonic impaction proximal to the site of anastomosis. A modified procedure for ventral end colostomy resulted in a 79% (19 of 24 guinea pigs) survival rate. These results indicated that caution should be taken in surgical manipulations intended to treat or study diseases of the colon in the guinea pig.