The Healing of the Thin-Walled Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene Vascular Graft

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.