3D-Printed Gastrointestinal Stents: In Vivo Evaluation in a Swine Small Bowel Perforation Model

Gastrointestinal fistulae and perforations can lead to severe complications including sepsis and patient death. Implantation of personalized gastrointestinal stents can prevent leakage and ameliorate complications, without requiring removal post-healing. In this work, the efficacy of 3D-printed gastrointestinal stents composed of poly-lactic-acid (PLA) is evaluated in an in vivo swine model. Custom stent dimensions are determined for each subject using computed tomography imaging, and stents are implanted after an intestinal incision is made. A 1-cm intestinal defect is maintained over the stent surface to evaluate the ability of the stents to retain intestinal contents over a span of two weeks. Stent efficacy is evaluated after necropsy by histology and scanning electron microscopic analysis. Stents were found to prevent abdominal sepsis over the two-week period, even in the presence of an intestinal defect.