Left colon anastomotic healing following colostomy closure. An experimental study on rats.

The impact of colostomy closure on the healing of a left colonic anastomosis performed 4 weeks earlier was studied in rats. Colostomy closure could be safely accomplished but in 3 of 25 rats was followed by faecal obstruction due to narrowing of the primary left colonic anastomosis. After colostomy closure the gain in anastomotic strength was slow and did not exceed the outset value until after 3 weeks. After colostomy closure, accumulation of collagen in the anastomotic region increased earlier than anastomotic strength, indicating delay in collagen maturation.