[Influence of the type of arterial anastomosis on the development of endothelial hyperplasia].

This study was designed to evaluate intimal hyperplasia distal to the suture line in two types of vascular anastomosis: end to end and end to side. 49 aorto-iliac homografts have been performed on rabbits New-Zealand. The aortic anastomosis was side to end, iliac anastomosis were end to end on one side, end to side on the other one. Scanning electronic microscopical study and histological evaluation were carried out at various time of survival from 2 hours to 180 days. The scanning microscopy has evidenced the surface changes: early platelets adhesion and the healing process. Histological evaluation demonstrated that the intimal proliferation was prevailing at the level of the suture line in both anastomosis, and at the opposite to the mouth of the anastomosis in the end to side one. Intimal thickness was measured on arterial section immediately distal to the suture line. In the end to end anastomosis, hyperplasia was absent on the 5th post-operative days, it reached 120 mu +/- 33 on the 40th days, and decreased to 40 mu +/- 35 on the 150th post-operative day. In the end to side anastomosis evolution was the same: 0 mu on the 5th, 106 mu +/- 49 on the 40th day and 53 mu +/- 45 on the 150th post-operative day. In conclusion, this experimental study gives some support to the fact that the type of anastomosis, per se, end to side or end to end does not influence the development of intimal hyperplasia.