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

## TL;DR

This study tests 3D-printed stents in pigs to prevent intestinal leakage and complications from bowel perforations.

## Contribution

The study introduces 3D-printed PLA stents tailored for individual anatomy to treat gastrointestinal defects.

## Key findings

- 3D-printed stents prevented abdominal sepsis in pigs with intestinal defects over two weeks.
- Stents retained intestinal contents effectively despite the presence of a 1-cm defect.
- Histology and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the stents' structural integrity and efficacy.

## Abstract

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.

Gastrointestinal fistulae and perforations can lead to severe complications including sepsis and patient death. In this work, the efficacy of 3D‐printed gastrointestinal stents composed of poly‐lactic‐acid (PLA) was evaluated in an in vivo swine model. Custom stent dimensions were determined for each subject using computed tomography imaging, and stents were implanted. Stent efficacy was evaluated after necropsy by histology and scanning electron microscopic analysis.