Patency, flow, and endothelialization of the sutureless Excimer Laser Assisted Non-occlusive Anastomosis (ELANA) technique in a pig model

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess flow, patency, and endothelialization of bypasses created with the sutureless Excimer Laser Assisted Non-occlusive Anastomosis (SELANA) technique in a pig model. In 38 pigs, a bypass was made on the left common carotid artery (CCA), using the right CCA as a graft, with 2 SELANAs. Bypass flow was measured using single-vessel flowmetry. The pigs were randomly assigned to 1 of 12 survival groups (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 10 days; 2 and 3 weeks; and 3 and 6 months). One extra animal underwent the procedure and then was killed after 1 hour of bypass patency to serve as a control. Angiography was performed just before the animals were killed, to assess bypass patency. Scanning electron microscopy and histological studies were used to evaluate the anastomoses after planned death. The mean SELANA bypass flow was not significantly different from the mean flow in the earlier ELANA (Excimer Laser Assisted Non-occlusive Anastomosis) pig study at opening and follow-up. Overall SELANA bypass patency (87%) was not significantly different from the ELANA patency of 86% in the earlier study. Complete SELANA endothelialization was observed after 2-3 weeks, compared with 2 weeks in the earlier ELANA study. The SELANA technique is not inferior to the current ELANA technique regarding flow, patency, and endothelialization. A pilot study in patients is a logical next step.