Polytetrafluoroethylene for microarterial prosthetic grafts.

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts can successfully be used as a microvascular prosthetic grafting material in rats with patency results of 90%. There was not a significant difference between patency percentages obtained with the PTFE grafts in comparison with autologous vein grafts. Excellent patency was achieved at 40 days for all of the interposition grafts in this study. Aspirin and dipyridamole did not improve patency.