Effects of traumatic manipulations on grafts, sutures, and host arteries during vascular surgery procedures. Experiments on dogs.

Scanning electron microscopy was used to diagnose incidents of trauma and the pattern of healing following surgical implantation of microporous blood vessel substitutes. Vascular reconstruction procedures using autogenous or synthetic prosthetic material inflict damage to the adjacent tissues as well as the prosthesis. This affects the thrombotic behavior and healing pattern of the area. The prognosis for long-term success are, as a consequence, directly influenced. Various vessel-occluding devices were evaluated in canine models with respect to their ability to damage blood vessels at the clamped site. The impact of suture needles on tissues and prosthetic materials was also considered. Of the various vessel-clamping devices which are commercially available, those which have elastomeric shields on the clamping components were found to be most satisfactory. The development of less traumatic surgical devices is discussed with the aim of further reducing surgical trauma.