Suturable gastrointestinal cannulas for animals of various sizes

A new procedure in which gastrointestinal cannulas are prepared from suturable material improves in vovo methods and requires little machining. Substitution of a suturable material for rigid collars, previously used, prevents leakage, infection, and loss of the cannulas into the gut lumen. The technique has been successfully applied to rats, rabbits, and dogs; consequently it should be useful in animals of almost any size. Two designs of cannulas with descriptions of their implantation are presented. The first version fits into each end of a gut loop and is useful for perfusion, digestion, and secretion studies. The second version forms a sidearm through which feeding or sampling can be carried out at any point in the intestine or the stomach.