Healing of the canine aorta after endarterectomy: a scanning electron microscopy study.

Endarterectomy sections of canine aorta were examined in various stages of healing by scanning electron microscopy. In all specimens the endarterectomy site was quickly covered by a thin fibrin-platelet coagulum with varying amounts of thrombus. Neoendothelization began before one week and was virtually completed by one month except on areas of heavy thrombus deposition. While this study does not prove the origin of the neoendothelial cell, it suggests that neoendothelial cells are derived from pre-existing endothelium and advance over the endarterectomy site from the junction zone of the normal aorta and to a lesser extent from the orifices of brancing vessels.