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Postoperative intestinal motility in dogs and sheep
The American Journal of Digestive Diseases
|August 1, 1978
Summary
Abdominal surgery, like laparotomy, temporarily halts small intestine electrical activity in dogs and sheep. This inhibition, mediated by reflex pathways, can be prevented by splanchnicectomy.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Surgical Physiology
- Neurogastroenterology
Background:
- The small intestine exhibits complex electrical activity crucial for motility.
- Abdominal surgery can disrupt normal gastrointestinal function, leading to postoperative ileus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of laparotomy and abdominal surgery on small intestine myoelectric activity in dogs and sheep.
- To identify the role of peripheral reflex pathways in mediating surgical-induced inhibition.
Main Methods:
- Chronic implantation of electrodes in dogs and sheep to record small intestine electrical activity.
- Induction of laparotomy and various abdominal surgical procedures under general anesthesia.
- Evaluation of the effects of splanchnicectomy on surgical-induced myoelectric inhibition.
Main Results:
- Laparotomy caused immediate, transient inhibition of electrical spiking activity in both species, more pronounced in sheep than dogs and less so in the duodenum.
- Postoperative ileus varied in duration depending on the surgical procedure in dogs (6-24 hours).
- Splanchnicectomy prevented the inhibition of myoelectric activity caused by laparotomy and surgery in both species.
Conclusions:
- Abdominal surgery and laparotomy induce specific, species-dependent inhibition of small intestine myoelectric activity.
- Peripheral reflex pathways are activated by surgical stimuli, leading to altered intestinal electrical patterns.
- Splanchnicectomy demonstrates the critical role of the splanchnic nerves in mediating these inhibitory responses.