The study was performed to evaluate the early healing of immediate primary colonic anastomoses in emergency left colonic surgery. The significance of native microflora contamination into peritoneal cavity on the anastomotic breakdown was also assessed (the effect of the peritoneal cavity contamination with native microflora on the anastomotic breakdown was also assessed). Segmental left colectomy and primary end-to-end single layer colonic anasto-moses were performed 24 hours after standardized left colonic obstruction in rats. Four days later the anastomoses were resected for morphological and histological evaluation. Additionally, before the experiment, native colonic flora was tested by rectal culture. During laparotomies peritoneal cavity cultures were taken. No animal was lost during the experiment. Eighty percent of primary colonic anastomoses healed without leakage. In 20% of animals with the contamination of the peritoneal cavity with native colonic flora, leakage of the anterior wall of the anastomosis was observed. The breakdown of primary anastomosis remains a high rate complication in emergency left colonic surgery which synergizes with the native colonic flora contamination of the peritoneal cavity.

Keywords: colonic obstruction, primary anastomosis