Background: The combination of neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy and parenchyma-preserving sleeve resection for lung cancer remains controversial because of potentially increased rate of anastomotic breakdown. We analyzed the effects of applying a decellularized human dermis transplant seeded with autologous fibroblasts in a rodent sleeve resection model with neoadjuvant radiotherapy.
Materials and methods: A total of 64 male Fisher rats underwent a transsection and surgical anastomosis of the left main bronchus and were randomized to receive plus/minus radiation treatment and plus/minus augmentation of the anastomosis with a fibroblast-seeded dermis transplant (2 × 2 factorial design). A μCT scan was performed at postoperative days 7 and 14, and the animals were sacrificed on day 14. Anastomotic bursting pressure and hydroxyproline concentration were measured.
Results: In the irradiated groups, the anastomotic bursting pressure was significantly higher in the augmented group at day 7 (100.9 ± 18.3 vs 141.3 ± 18.0 kPa, p = 0.0005) but not at day 14. Hydroxyproline levels showed a similar pattern in the irradiated group with significant differences at day 7 (7 days postoperative 158 ± 11.6 vs 198.2 ± 10.9 nmol/mg, p < 0.0001) but not at day 14 postoperatively.
Conclusions: Augmentation of a bronchial anastomosis by a dermal matrix, seeded with autologous, viable fibroblasts improves early wound breaking strength. Fibroblast-enhanced dermal matrices provide a new and easily usable tool to prevent early anastomotic leakage after neoadjuvant chemoradiation in locally advanced lung cancer.