Murine ileocolic bowel resection with primary anastomosis

• Published in: Journal of visualized experiments 2014-10 (92), p.e52106-e52106
• Main Authors: Perry, Troy, Borowiec, Anna, Dicken, Bryan, Fedorak, Richard, Madsen, Karen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anastomosis, Surgical - methods; Animals; Colon - surgery; Digestive System Surgical Procedures - methods; Ileum - surgery; Medicine; Mice; Models, Animal
• ISSN: 1940-087X; 1940-087X
• DOI: 10.3791/52106

Intestinal resections are frequently required for treatment of diseases involving the gastrointestinal tract, with Crohn's disease and colon cancer being two common examples. Despite the frequency of these procedures, a significant knowledge gap remains in describing the inherent effects of intestinal resection on host physiology and disease pathophysiology. This article provides detailed instructions for an ileocolic resection with primary end-to-end anastomosis in mice, as well as essential aspects of peri-operative care to maximize post-operative success. When followed closely, this procedure yields a 95% long-term survival rate, no failure to thrive, and minimizes post-operative complications of bowel obstruction and anastomotic leak. The technical challenges of performing the procedure in mice are a barrier to its wide spread use in research. The skills described in this article can be acquired without previous surgical experience. Once mastered, the murine ileocolic resection procedure will provide a reproducible tool for studying the effects of intestinal resection in models of human disease.