Stapler-less Burst Pressure in a Ex-vivo Human Gastric Tissue

Stapler-less laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is emerging as a new potential affordable cost-effective alternative procedure. However, no pre-clinical data are currently available on human tissue. We aimed to evaluate whether traditionally suturing without the use of surgical stapling may produces a comparable bursting pressure on human gastric tissue.

Stapler-less laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is emerging as a new potential affordable cost-effective alternative procedure. However, no pre-clinical data are currently available on human tissue. We aimed to evaluate whether traditionally suturing without the use of surgical stapling may produces a comparable bursting pressure on human gastric tissue. A prospective cohort of consecutive patients underwent LSG was divided in two groups to compare a barbed extramucosal running suture (stapler-less) versus a standard stapler line. A burst pressure test was applied to the gastric specimen employing high-resolution manometric catheter. Type, location and features of the leak were described. In human ex-vivo model, traditional surgical suture (i.e. running hand-sewn) produced an effective temporary closure, with superior resistance to increasing volume and pressure. How this may impact on clinical LSG outcomes needs further evaluations and was not the object of this study.

after the LSG stapler line removal by electrothermal bipolar-activated device (LigaSure Atlas™, Valleylab, Boulder, CO, USA), a stapler-less hand-sewn reconstruction was adopted. A single extra-mucosal running barbed suture (3/0 V-Loc™ suture; Covidien, Mansfield, MA, USA), incorporating sero- and submucosal gastric layers, closed the gastric tube.

no reinforcement was performed, the stomach was re-sleeved along a 40F bougie with Echelon Flex Endopath 60-mm linear stapler (Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Cincinnati, OH, USA) to reproduce standard volume of remnant LSG stomach and/or eliminating zig-zag shape of suture-line.

After the LSG stapler line removal by electrothermal bipolar-activated device (LigaSure Atlas™, Valleylab, Boulder, CO, USA), a stapler-less hand-sewn reconstruction was adopted. A single extra-mucosal running barbed suture (3/0 V-Loc™ suture; Covidien, Mansfield, MA, USA), incorporating sero- and submucosal gastric layers, closed the gastric tube.

No reinforcement was performed, the stomach was re-sleeved along a 40F bougie with Echelon Flex Endopath 60-mm linear stapler (Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Cincinnati, OH, USA) to reproduce standard volume of remnant LSG stomach and/or eliminating zig-zag shape of suture-line.

Evaluate the manometric burst pressure in the ex-vivo gastric specimen after hand-sewn running suture (group 1), and stapler suturing (group 2)

the saline volume needed to determine a gastric leak in the ex-vivo gastric specimen after hand-sewn running suture (group 1), and stapler suturing (group 2)

Inclusion Criteria: Morbid obesity according to IFSO guidelines Exclusion Criteria: Gastric specimen with injury and/or electrocoagulation signs at serosa Presence of comorbidities capable of affecting specimen tissue resistance (i.e. type II diabetes, gastric ulcer, connective tissue disease, systemic sclerosis, polymyositis)