A quantitative evaluation of the effect of foreign body obstruction and enterectomy technique on canine small intestinal microvascular health

Abstract Objective To investigate sidestream dark field (SDF) videomicroscopy as an objective measure of intestinal viability and determine the effects of enterectomy techniques on intestinal microvasculature in dogs with foreign body obstructions. Study design Prospective, randomized, clinical trial. Animals A total of 24 dogs with an intestinal foreign body obstruction and 30 systemically healthy dogs. Methods An SDF videomicroscope imaged the microvasculature at the site of the foreign body. Subjectively viable intestine received an enterotomy whereas nonviable intestine received an enterectomy using a handsewn (4‐0 polydioxanone, simple continuous) or a functional end‐to‐end stapled technique (GIA 60 blue, TA 60 green) was used on an alternating basis. The microvasculature adjacent to the enterectomy was interrogated. Quantitative measures of microvascular health were calculated for each site and compared with healthy dogs. Results Microvascular density (mean ± SD) at the site of obstruction (140.84 ± 77.40) was lower than healthy controls (251.72 ± 97.10, p < .01). There was no difference in microvascular parameters (density or perfused boundary region, PBR) between obstructed dogs with subjectively viable and nonviable intestine ( p > .14). The density ( p = .66) and PBR of microvessels ( p = .76) adjacent to the sutured enterectomy or TA green staple line did not differ. Conclusion Sidestream dark field videomicroscopy can identify obstructed intestine and quantitate the severity of microvascular compromise. Handsewn and stapled enterectomies equally preserve perfusion. Clinical significance Stapled enterectomies do not lead to greater vascular compromise than handsewn enterectomies.