The effects of different corticosteroids on the healing colon anastomosis and cecum in a rat model.

Corticosteroids are known to adversely affect wound healing in experimental skin models; however, their effect on healing colonic anastomoses is still disputed. Different steroids have not been compared to each other in the same study. We studied the effect of equipotent doses of dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, and methylprednisolone on healing colon anastomoses in a rat model. High-dose steroid therapy was started 2 days prior to the operation and continued until the bursting pressures were measured at 5 and 7 days after the surgery. Anastomotic bursting pressure was not decreased for any of the steroid treatments when compared to the control, but the frequency of anastomotic rupture in the dexamethasone group at day 5 was significantly higher than either of the other steroid groups or the control group (P < 0.01). Bursting pressures of the intact cecum were lower in all the steroid-treated groups compared with the control group. We concluded that dexamethasone slows the rate of wound healing, but short-term high-dose steroid therapy does not decrease the strength of the anastomoses as measured by bursting pressure.