Joseph R Paladino, YuanDian Zheng, Konstantinos Gasteratos, John J Corvi, Katherine H Park, Yelena Akelina
{"title":"Rat Microvascular Model is Tolerant to Technical Errors.","authors":"Joseph R Paladino, YuanDian Zheng, Konstantinos Gasteratos, John J Corvi, Katherine H Park, Yelena Akelina","doi":"10.1055/a-2153-2467","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong> Extensive studies have been conducted using the rat model to understand the potential technical errors that lead to anastomotic failure. However, current literature indicates that the rat model has excellent tolerance to diverse errors committed by microsurgeons. The error-investigating rat model is often created by one or two experienced surgeons, and only one isolated technical error is examined. These biases may potentially cause limitations of the results from previous studies. Meanwhile, venous anastomoses have rarely been investigated in previous literature. Therefore, it is important to elucidate this topic with a more comprehensive study design.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong> Ninety-four arterial and 94 venous anastomoses on Sprague-Dawley rat femoral vessels that were performed by 47 microsurgeons who participated in the microsurgery course at the Columbia University and the University of Thessaloniki were evaluated. In total, 10 technical errors were examined: (1) disruption of suture line, (2) back-wall stitch, (3) oblique stitch, (4) wide bite, (5) partial thickness bite, (6) unequal suture distance, (7) tear in vessel wall, (8) excessively tight suture, (9) suture threads in lumen, and (10) large edge overlap. The frequency of each error committed, and the 30-minute postoperative patency was also recorded. The underlying causal relationship between these errors, potential interaction, and the short-term anastomosis patency was analyzed statistically.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong> Only the back-wall stitch was found to have a significant causal effect on arterial anastomosis failure (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Back-wall stitch, wide bite, and partial thickness bite significantly impact venous anastomosis patency (<i>p</i> < 0.001). No other statistically significant result was found.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong> Overall, the rat model is highly resilient to various technical errors despite these mistakes being often considered clinically unacceptable. Therefore, researchers need to consider the resilience of the rat model when designing and analyzing future studies. In addition, microsurgery instructors should focus on individual stitch quality rather than the final patency.</p>","PeriodicalId":16949,"journal":{"name":"Journal of reconstructive microsurgery","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2000,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of reconstructive microsurgery","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2153-2467","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2023/8/14 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"SURGERY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Extensive studies have been conducted using the rat model to understand the potential technical errors that lead to anastomotic failure. However, current literature indicates that the rat model has excellent tolerance to diverse errors committed by microsurgeons. The error-investigating rat model is often created by one or two experienced surgeons, and only one isolated technical error is examined. These biases may potentially cause limitations of the results from previous studies. Meanwhile, venous anastomoses have rarely been investigated in previous literature. Therefore, it is important to elucidate this topic with a more comprehensive study design.
Methods: Ninety-four arterial and 94 venous anastomoses on Sprague-Dawley rat femoral vessels that were performed by 47 microsurgeons who participated in the microsurgery course at the Columbia University and the University of Thessaloniki were evaluated. In total, 10 technical errors were examined: (1) disruption of suture line, (2) back-wall stitch, (3) oblique stitch, (4) wide bite, (5) partial thickness bite, (6) unequal suture distance, (7) tear in vessel wall, (8) excessively tight suture, (9) suture threads in lumen, and (10) large edge overlap. The frequency of each error committed, and the 30-minute postoperative patency was also recorded. The underlying causal relationship between these errors, potential interaction, and the short-term anastomosis patency was analyzed statistically.
Results: Only the back-wall stitch was found to have a significant causal effect on arterial anastomosis failure (p < 0.001). Back-wall stitch, wide bite, and partial thickness bite significantly impact venous anastomosis patency (p < 0.001). No other statistically significant result was found.
Conclusion: Overall, the rat model is highly resilient to various technical errors despite these mistakes being often considered clinically unacceptable. Therefore, researchers need to consider the resilience of the rat model when designing and analyzing future studies. In addition, microsurgery instructors should focus on individual stitch quality rather than the final patency.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery is a peer-reviewed, indexed journal that provides an international forum for the publication of articles focusing on reconstructive microsurgery and complex reconstructive surgery. The journal was originally established in 1984 for the microsurgical community to publish and share academic papers.
The Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery provides the latest in original research spanning basic laboratory, translational, and clinical investigations. Review papers cover current topics in complex reconstruction and microsurgery. In addition, special sections discuss new technologies, innovations, materials, and significant problem cases.
The journal welcomes controversial topics, editorial comments, book reviews, and letters to the Editor, in order to complete the balanced spectrum of information available in the Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery. All articles undergo stringent peer review by international experts in the specialty.