Effect of chitosan coating on surgical sutures to strengthen the colonic anastomosis.

BACKGROUND

We evaluated the feasibility of chitosan-coated sutures for intestinal anastomosis strength through wound-healing effect.

METHODS

Vicryl and PDS sutures were coated with 2% chitosan. While laparotomy was applied to the first group, chitosan was applied in the peritoneal cavity in the second group. Then the following materials were applied to colon anastomosis, in order: Vicryl, PDS, chitosan-coated Vicryl, and chitosan-coated PDS sutures. On the 7th and 14th days, eight rats from each group were euthanized.

RESULTS

The adhesion scores of chitosan and control groups were lower than the suture groups. The vascularization of Vicryl-chitosan was lower than PDS-chitosan on the 14th day (p=0.038). Fibroblast cells and vascularization of anastomosis with chitosan-coated Vicryl were lower than Vicryl and chitosan-coated PDS on the 14th day (p<0.05). The tensile strength of Vicryl-chitosan increased more than Vicryl in vitro (p<0.05) on the 14th and 7th days, but there was no difference in vivo. The tensile strength of PDS-chitosan decreased more than PDS on the 7th day in vivo (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

The chitosan-coating effect on the adhesion and reinforcement of anastomosis in some parts of Vicryl in vitro and PDS in vivo was slightly improved.