Construction of a new intestinal valve.

PURPOSE: A surgical technique is presented which creates an intestinal valve.

METHODS

In six dogs, the terminal ileum and the ascending colon were removed and the valve was made. The valve has been constructed in eight humans, three of them were cases of short bowel syndrome with resection of the ileocecal valve and five cases were right hemicolectomies attributable to a carcinoma of the cecum and ascending colon.

RESULTS

The dogs were observed for a period of four to six months, during which time the animals stayed healthy. In the cases of short bowel syndrome in humans, the valve reduced the number of evacuations, in the five cases of right hemicolectomies the evolution was without complications.

CONCLUSION

This surgical technique can be useful in the management of patients with morbidity by resection of the ileocecal valve.