A newly developed degradable stent for pancreaticojejunostomy after pancreatoduodenectomy.

A novel technique of anastomosis with a short-term degradable stent for pancreaticojejunostomy has been developed and its shape-retentive capability evaluated under conditions of exposure to digestive fluid and its clinical feasibility. The stent was braided manually using Monocryl and PDS-II of 2-0 wire and heat treated at 80 degrees C for 3 hours under a vacuum. We measured its maximum resistance to compression strength and elastic modules of the stent. We evaluated the feasibility of the stent in 8 patients under pancreaticojejunostomy and hepaticojejunostomy. The compression strength of the stent was preserved for about 3 weeks, after which point it collapsed. The elastic features were retained under exposure to gastric fluid, but they were lost under an intestinal juice exposure. Using this stent, "suturing of tissue with the stent on" was possible as a novel technique of anastomosis and induced few complications.