Interrupted and continuous microarteriorrhaphy techniques: a hemodynamic comparison.

The purpose of this study was to compare interrupted and continuous suturing techniques in laboratory microarteriorrhaphy. The comparison was based on rat femoral artery hemodynamic variables, including blood velocities, lumen diameters, and calculated blood flow. These variables were calculated by an offline computer from Doppler frequency shifts that were measured by a 20-MHz pulsed ultrasonic Doppler velocity meter. No statistical difference was noted postoperatively between the interrupted and continuous techniques relative to any hemodynamic variable. Average blood flow after the interrupted (n = 12) and continuous (n = 12) techniques was 6.59 +/- 1.12 and 6.74 +/- 1.20 ml/min, respectively. The two microarteriorrhaphy techniques result in equal postoperative vessel hemodynamics in a laboratory model.