Acute coeliac artery occlusion: initial collateral blood flow from the superior mesenteric artery. An experimental study.

The collateral blood flow from the superior mesenteric artery after acute occlusion of the coeliac truck was measured in experiments in dogs. Immediately after clamping of the coeliac axis the collateral flow was about 30 % of the original coeliac blood flow. During an observation time of three hours the collateral flow increased, the corresponding value at the end of experiment being about 50 %. At the same time the blood pressure in the coeliac artery rose from a mean value of 20 mmHg to 35 mmHg. The initial collateral blood flow was evidently not sufficient, since after this short occlusion period ischaemic changes, even necrosis, were observed in the liver and stomach in some of the test animals.