Evaluation of an absorbable ring for vascular anastomosis.

An absorbable ring for vascular anastomosis was developed, composed of a copolymer of L-lactic acid and glycolic acid (7:3 mole percent). It has an external diameter of 3.0 mm, a thickness of 1.0 mm, and an inner diameter of 1.0 mm, with six stainless steel pins and six opposed holes. With this ring, femoral artery anastomoses were performed in 27 rabbits. One, 2, 6, and 30 weeks after anastomosis, the femoral artery was harvested and patency was evaluated by light and scanning electron microscopy. Absorption of the ring occurred within 30 weeks. Of the 27 animals, the anastomosed vessel was patent in 24 cases, for a patency rate of about 89 percent. Vascular anastomosis with the absorbable ring is useful, and the device may compensate for some of the drawbacks of manual suturing and the conventional non-absorbable ring.