A new method for the assessment of gut viability.

A surface polarographic oxygen electrode was modified so that on the basis of physical considerations its reading became dependent on blood flow. The preliminary results show that when applied to the serosal surface of the bowel under operative conditions, readings correlated well with total blood flow to the segment measured by electromagnetic flowmetry. Graded local ischaemic areas could also be detected. Readings from the serosal surface appeared to be independent of those from the mucosa. The instrument may therefore provide a useful surgical tool for detecting partially ischaemic areas of bowel.