Healing process of laser-welded intestinal anastomosis

Intestinal welding by means of low-power laser has been reported as an efficient method for intestinal anastomosis. We designed an experimental model in rats to investigate collagen and DNA concentrations in CO2 laser-welded anastomoses as compared with those in sutured anastomoses on the 4th, 7th, and 10th postoperative days. The results revealed that DNA, total collagen, and insoluble collagen concentrations were significantly lower in the lased anastomoses than in the sutured anastomoses on the 4th postanastomotic day. On the 7th and 10th postanastomotic days, collagen concentrations increased in the laser-treated group attaining significantly higher levels than in the sutured group at that time. These findings are compatible with other studies demonstrating that laser-welded intestinal anastomoses are more prone to dehiscence during the first 4 postanastomotic days, but become at least as effective as the sutured ones with passage of time.