Glutaraldehyde Treated Cat Small Bowel as an Arterial Graft

Abstract

The materials used up to now for grafting arteries have not proved entirely satisfactory. It was the purpose of the project described here to find a more satisfactory method for replacing arteries. Previous experience has shown that glutaraldehyde-treated grafts are non-viable, avascular, and known to pre serve their general structure. In this study small bowel taken from a cat and treated with glutaraldehyde was used to replace the aorta in dogs.

Ten dogs were used. The G.A. treated graft in a length of 10 cm bypassed the abdominal aorta. The dogs were sacrificed from 20 days up to one year. Repeated angiographies showed the patency of the graft. After sacrificing the dogs, the grafts were examined macroscopically and microscopically. The site of the anastomosis was strong and no aneurysms were seen. The graft is easy to handle and can be tailored to size.