Technical note: development of a duodenal cannula for sheep.

A single T-shaped duodenal cannula of silicone rubber with a gutter-type small inner flange was developed for sheep. The barrel of the cannula was 24 mm long with an internal diameter of 12 mm. A polyester surgical mesh (100 mm x 100 mm) was connected to the barrel of the cannula as an anchor. Fibrous tissues grew on the polyester mesh anchor and adhered firmly to the serosa of the intestine, thus leaving no gap and, hence, preventing any leakage of intestinal contents from the side of the fistula. The small (24 mm in diameter) and thin (3 mm in thickness) outer flange of the cannula became buried in the wool and prevented any mechanical disturbance of the cannula by the activity of the animal. The elasticity of the silicone rubber prevented distortion of the duodenum around the barrel of the cannula. No erosion of the tissue between the inner flange of the cannula and the mesh was seen in postmortem observations.