Macroscopic, microscopic and morphometric changes of thoracic tracheal divided graft after autotransplantation and omentopexy in dogs

Abstract

WE EVALUATED SCARRING, REVASCULARIZATION, MACROSCOPIC, MICROSCOPIC AND MORPHOMETRIC CHANGES OF A THORACIC TRACHEAL GRAFT AFTER AUTOTRANSPLANTATION USING THE DIVIDED TRACHEAL GRAFT TECHNIQUE AND OMENTOPEXY. TWELVE DOGS WERE OPERATED AND DIVIDED IN 2 GROUPS: GROUP I (N = 6) AUTOTRANSPLANTATION OF THORACIC TRACHEA WITH THE DIVIDED TRACHEAL GRAFT TECHNIQUE WITHOUT OMENTOPEXY. GROUP II (N = 6): AUTOTRANSPLANTATION OF THORACIC TRACHEA WITH OMENTOPEXY. THE ANIMALS WERE EVALUATED CLINICAL AND RADIOLOGICALLY EVERY DAY DURING THE FI RST WEEK AND EVERY 2 DAYS DURING THE NEXT 3 WEEKS. TRACHEAL ANASTOMOSIS WAS EVALUATED BY TRACHEOSCOPY IMMEDIATELY AFTER SURGERY AND ONCE A WEEK UNTIL THE END OF THE STUDY. IN GROUP II, WE PERFORMED ANGIOGRAPHIC STUDIES AND INK WAS INJECTED IN ORDER TO ASSES REVASCULARIZATION OF THE TRACHEAL ANASTOMOSIS. FINALLY ALL THE ANIMALS WERE EUTHANAIZED; AND MACROSCOPIC, MICROSCOPIC AND MORPHOMETRIC EVALUATIONS WERE DONE ON THE TRACHEAL GRAFTS. ALL THE ANIMALS SURVIVED THE SURGICAL PROCEDURE. ALL THE ANIMALS IN GROUP II AND THREE IN GROUP I COMPLETED THE STUDY TIME, WITH GOOD POSTOPERATIVE CONDITIONS CLINICAL AND RADIOLOGICAL. TRACHEOSCOPY AND MACROSCOPIC STUDIES SHOWED GOOD TRACHEAL GRAFT HEALING AND REVASCULARIZATION IN THESE NINE DOGS. IN ANIMALS FROM GROUP II THE ANGIOGRAPHY AND INK INJECTION SHOWED TRACHEAL REVASCULARIZATION, HISTOLOGICALLY WE FOUND INFLAMMATION AND HEALING TISSUE, SOME OF THEM SHOWED NEOFORMATION VESSELS. GROUP I ANIMALS: THE THREE SURVIVOR DOGS SHOWED INFLAMMATION AND FIBROSIS IN THE CARTILAGE AND EPITHELIUM AND SCARCY NEOFORMATION VESSELS. THREE DOGS IN GROUP I (THEY DO NOT SURVIVED THE LENGTH OF THE STUDY) WE FOUND DEHISCENCE, NECROSIS AND FISTULAE IN THE MEDIAL PORTION OF THE AUTOTRANSPLANTED GRAFT, AS WELL AS HEAVY INFLAMMATION. THE MORPHOMETRIC STUDIES SHOWED A THICKER ANASTOMOSIS IN GROUP I ANIMALS (ANOVA P < 0.05). WE CONCLUDE THAT TRACHEAL AUTOTRANSPLANTATION WITH OMENTOPEXY FAVORS VIABILITY, REVASCULARIZATION AND GOOD HEALING OF THE AUTOTRANSPLANTED GRAFT.