In Vivo Healing Effects of Ankaferd Blood Stopper on the Residual Pancreatic Tissue in a Swine Model of Distal Pancreatectomy

The aim of this study was to determine whether intraoperative Ankaferd blood stopper (ABS) application into the pancreatic channel and to the pancreatic remnant surface following distal pancreatectomy can or cannot prevent postoperative pancreatic fistula formation. Three pigs underwent distal pancreatectomy under general anesthesia. In two of the pigs, 0.5 ml of ABS was applied to the stump surface area after adding 0.5 ml of ABS into the pancreatic channel. The remaining one animal served as the control. The pigs were sacrificed on the seventh postoperative day for autopsy. The pancreatic remnants from the animals were then taken for histopathological analyses. It was observed that the oral intake had been broken and abdominal distention had developed in the control pig following on the third postoperative day. However, no significant clinical changes were observed in the ABS-applied pigs. In the autopsy, it was found that the control pig had generalized peritonitis with pancreatic necrosis. On the other hand, the ABS-applied pigs had either macroscopically and microscopically normal pancreatic tissue architecture with an occluded Wirsung duct at the pancreatic stump. It was concluded that application of ABS on the transected surface and into the pancreatic channel could prevent pancreatic fistula formation and improve wound healing in the residual pancreatic tissue following distal pancreatectomy.