RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Surgeons variously estimate usage of mechanical staplers in digestive surgery especially about the increase of the incidence of late complications like stricture (as some authors refer). We report a histomorphological aid to the comparison of staplers and hand-sewn sutures. Our aim was to observe at long term the healing process in the sutured tissue in the canine gastro-enteric tract. METHODS: We describe three histological pieces: one manual suture in a dog which was euthanatized and necropsied 5 months after operation and two mechanical sutures performed in two different dogs: one died because of a gastric torsion 18 months after the operation while the other was euthanatized 5 months after the operation. The histomorphological study has been carried out with a peculiar cutting (Exact) and including method which lets the staples in situ. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Compared analysis showed that cicatrization goes on better in stapled than in hand sutured tissue.