Platelet aggregation inhibition in human umbilical vein grafts and negatively charged bovine heterografts.

Glutaraldehye-tanned human umbilical vein grafts (4 mm) and negatively charged bovine heterografts (4 mm) were placed as bypasses in the femoral arteries of 20 dogs randomized into 10 treated with aspirin and dipyridamole and 10 were not treated. Autogenous vein grafts were placed as controls. Platelet aggregation inhibition by aspirin and dipyridamole significantly improved the patency of human umbilical vein grafts from 10% to 60%. It had no effect on patencies of autogenous veins (100%) or on negatively charged bovine heterografts (0% patency). Inherent graft properties continue to play an important and sometimes overriding role in long-term graft patency in small vessel bypasses. Neointimal fibrous hyperplasia at both proximal and distal anastomoses again was shown to be intimately associated with late graft occlusions.