Human amniotic membrane as an intestinal patch for neomucosal growth in the rabbit model.

This experiment was carried out as a preliminary study, an attempt to grow new intestinal mucosa on human amniotic membrane in the terminal ileum in 37 rabbits. After ketamin sulfate anesthesia at laparatomy, 5-cm ileal defects were patched with human amniotic membrane (5 x 2 cm). These patched intestines were investigated on the first postoperative day and the 2nd, 5th, 10th, and 20th weeks corresponding to 4, 5, 5, 10, and 10 rabbits, respectively. Only three rabbits died in the early postoperative period. There was no evidence of intestinal obstruction or dilatation with barium meal. Microscopically, the neomucosa consisted of a thin layer of columnar epithelial cells at 2 weeks with more maturity of the villi and less irregularity and branching by 20 weeks. All patches were covered with neomucosa commencing at 2 weeks and covering the whole patch area by 20 weeks. This technique's advantages are the large size and the ease of the availability of the human amniotic membrane for neonates at risk without jeopardizing the neonates tissues. It is hoped that this method might be considered when neonatal material is scarce.