Replacement of a Portion of the Common Bile Duct with a Segment of Uterine Horn

Abstract

Summary

Experiments were conducted to ascertain whether a grafted tubular structure with independent blood supply would serve for the passage of bile from the common bile duct to the duodenum. Dogs were selected for the experiments and the uterine horn was used for the grafting. Of 20 dogs surviving the operation, 12 died in from 3 to 21 days, and the rest were sacrificed between the 4th and the 27th weeks following the operation. Gross and microscopic studies of the biliary system of the latter 8 dogs disclosed that, in all, the transplanted segment of the uterine horn connected the common bile duct and the duodenum without causing permanent severe damage to the biliary system.