The objective of this experiment was to investigate the healing of thin-walled reinforced expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) vascular graft (thin graft) .
In 12 dogs (30-35 kgm), a 4 cm segment of each common iliac artery was excised and replaced with an equal length of PTFE vascular graft, 6mm internal diameter. Standard graft was used on one side and thin graft on the other. Dogs were sacrificed at intervals up to 12 weeks.
Pannus extension started at both ends after the first week. The degree of pannus extension and pannus thickness showed no difference between both grafts at each interval. It was covered by a monolayer of endothelial-like cells as seen by scanning electron microscopy. Anastomotic hyperplasia and the growth rates of endothelialization measured from the proximal anastomosis were simi lar.
No significant difference was noted in the healing between the thin-walled and standard PTFE vascular grafts for up to 12 weeks.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Sawyer T., Lempinen M., Cooper B., et al: A new venous prosthesis. Surgery72: 864-872, 1972.
2.
Matsumoto H. , Hasegawa T., Fuse K., et al: A new vascular prosthesis for a small caliber artery. Surgery74: 519-523, 1973.
3.
Kelly GL and Eiseman B.: Development of a new vascular prosthetic. Arch Surgery117:1367-1370, 1982.
4.
Brook WH, Phomphibulaya P., Scott DF: Light and electron microscopy of polytetrafluoroethylene arterial grafts in dogs. Aust NZJ Surg50: 634-639, 1980.
5.
Hanel KC, McCabe C., Abbott WM, et al: Current PTFE grafts: A biomechanical, scanning electron, and light microscopic evaluation. Ann Surg195: 456-463, 1982.
6.
Campbell CD, Goldfarb D. and Roe R.: A small arterial substitute: Expanded microporous polytetrafluoroethylene, Patency versus Porosity. Ann Surg182: 138-143, 1975.
7.
Shack RB, Neblett WW, Richie RE, et al: Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene as dialysis access grafts: serial study of histology and fibrinolytic activity. Am Surg43: 817-825, 1977.
8.
Florian A., Cohn LH, Dammin GJ, et al: Small vessel replacement with Gore-Tex (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene) . Arch Surg111: 267-270, 1976.
9.
Berger K., Sauvage LR, Rao AM, et al: Healing of arterial prostheses in man: Its incompleteness. Ann Surg175: 118-127, 1972.
10.
Sottiurai VS and Batson RC: Role of myofibroblasts in pseudointima formation . Surgery94: 792-801, 1983.
11.
Imparato AM , Baumann FG, Pearson J., et al: Electron microscopic studies of experimentally produced fibromuscular arterial lesions. Surg Gynecol Obstet139: 497-504, 1974.
12.
Imparato AM , Bracco A., Hammond R., et al: The effect of intimal and neointimal fibroplasia on arterial reconstructions. J Cardiovasc Surg Special Issue: 488-494, 1973.
