The important role of graft organization at the vascular prosthetic anastomosis.

The vascular anastomosis free of suture was made by using an absorbable suture and its tensile strength was compared with that of non-absorbable suture anastomosis. 29 adult mongrel dogs weighing 7.5 to 13.5 kg were used. Two kinds of vascular anastomosis were performed, that is, artery-to-artery anastomosis and vascular prosthetic graft to artery anastomosis. They were made in the right carotid artery and the abdominal aorta, respectively. Two kinds of suture were used for the vascular anastomosis, i.e., polyglycolic acid suture as an absorbable suture and TEVDEK suture as a non-absorbable suture. The tensile strength of anastomosis was measured by a self-made tensiometer. The following results were obtained: In the artery-to-artery anastomosis, the loss of the strength of suture did not weaken the anastomosis, whereas in the vascular prosthetic anastomosis, the loss of the tensile strength of suture weakened the vascular prosthetic anastomosis. However, well organized fibrous tissues surrounding the vascular prosthesis were strong enough to hold against the blood pressure.