Practical Application of Regenerative Medicine in Companion Animal Surgery

^{By Joel Ehrenzweig, DVM, MRCVS}

Dogs and cats will chew and swallow an astounding array of inedible and indigestible materials. Once eaten, these items are often unable to traverse the gastrointestinal tract, causing a partial obstruction or total blockage.

Initially, signs associated with abdominal distress are generally mild and nonspecific and include vomiting, anorexia and depression. The events often go unseen by the pet owner, and the issue warrants little attention until symptoms worsen. Days may pass and a visit to the clinic is delayed, with clients often turning to Dr. Google for guidance. The confusing, contradictory or inaccurate advice often postpones veterinary diagnosis and intervention.

Prior to Covid, pet owners were just one phone call away from the family veterinarian when there was a problem. But the pandemic continues to negatively impact veterinary hospital staffing and hours of operation, delaying treatment.

As the pet’s condition worsens, clients are often left with no alternative but to access more expensive after-hours, emergency or referral practices and the concomitant increased risk of complications. Intestinal foreign bodies frequently require an enterotomy to relieve the blockage.

Whether the gastrointestinal blockage is discrete (a ball or rock) or linear (string or a branch), the foreign body exerts increased pressure against the intestinal lining, leading to tissue inflammation, fragility and breakdown.

A lengthy delay before diagnosis often causes irreversible damage to the intestine, including disruption of the mucosal barrier which allows endotoxins and bacteria access to systemic circulation, bowel wall necrosis and septic peritonitis.

A GI tear or rupture can be repaired with suturing, but if the tissue damage is advanced, the obstructed section must be removed, and the ends rejoined by an intestinal anastomosis.

The Challenge

While intestinal anastomosis is a common procedure in people and animals, it is also one of the most problematic with respect to postoperative difficulties: incision site leakage, dehiscence, peritonitis and adhesion formation.

A positive clinical outcome following abdominal surgery necessitates the prevention of infection and dehydration; surveillance for indications of any superficial or profound surgical site infection; cage rest; and careful feeding. In the first 30 days following surgery, careful observation must be made for any indication of incision site leakage, dehiscence, or peritonitis.

Long-term post-operative problems are generally caused by intra-abdominal adhesions, the inflammatory response to tissue trauma. Adhesions are described in 15-50% of dogs following abdominal surgery and can result in a variety of complications such as bowel obstruction and pain. Despite the incidence, it remains an underreported sequelae in veterinary practice.

Both human and canine signs of postop adhesions are frequently nonspecific and intermittent, e.g., vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal pain. Unfortunately, dogs are notoriously adept at masking pain, a good survival technique, but one that significantly reduces the quality of life for patients.

The Solution

• Regenerating traumatized tissue
• Safeguarding normal healing without the development of adhesions following abdominal or orthopedic surgery
• Preventing postoperative suture leakage following intestinal anastomosis or cystotomy

It is a precisely formulated anti-microbial regenerative biofilm that accelerates healing. Its application is particularly suited to anastomoses and cystotomies where site seepage and infection are common complications. Additionally, it reduces adhesion development and accelerates normal functionality to GI tissue lost to obstruction, disease or surgical trauma, especially in aged or immunocompromised patients.

The Regenaflex-M Biofilm stimulates cell-to-cell communication that is essential for post-surgical intestinal healing by an easy-to-apply biological scaffold that delivers a cell-signaling cascade of cytokines, growth factors and exosomes that accelerates tissue repair and establishes normal intestinal functionality.

This advanced regenerative therapy has been tailored for practical applications in abdominal, organ and orthopedic surgery. Uncomplicated application delivers best practices level care with accelerated healing and reduced postoperative concerns.

Its dependable formulation offers:

• Ease-of-use with predictable results
• Consistent cell-signaling formulations
• Long-term stability and sterility
• Room temperature storage

Summary

The full value of a scientific discovery is realized when it can be used in practice to improve treatment outcomes for patients. Regenaflex-M Biofilm is a manageable, sophisticated surgical innovation that delivers the collective benefits of regenerative PRP and stem cell medicine at the surgical site, effectively reducing the potential for postoperative complications and failed outcomes.