An experimental study of arterial microautografts

Abstract

Autogenous interpositional microarterial grafting of 204 saphenous branches of albino rat femoral arteries with an external diameter of 0.3 to 0.5 mm resulted in an immediate patency rate of 100%. Morphological studies included light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The patency rate as assessed by exploration with combined LM and SEM observations at 72 h was 68.2%. The late patency rate was related to blade tip pressure of the double approximator clip used in the microanastomosis. The patency rate with a clip with a blade tip pressure of 22 g was 54.1 % and that with a clip with a blade tip pressure of 2 g was 83%. When arterial occlusion lasted less than 30 min, the late patency rate was 82.4% to 88%. If arterial occlusion lasted for as long as 1 h, the late patency rate of vessels occluded by a clip with a blade tip pressure of 22 g dropped to 29.2%. These results demonstrate that an interpositional microarterial graft as small as 0.5 mm in external diameter is clinically feasible.