[Experimental microsurgery on submillimetric vessels: technic and results (author's transl)].

This experimental work presents the results of 180 submillimetric microvascular interventions performed on the carotid arteries and jugular veins of 130 white rats weighting 100-150 g each. End to end (54 cases), end to side (76 cases) anastomosis, repair of arteriotomies by microsutures (30 cases) or patch graft (20 cases) were performed on submillimetric vessels (0.5 to 0.8 mm). Rats were used as acute preparation (70 cases) for the development of technical skill but in 100 cases they were kept alive between 1 to 3 weeks and then operated again. The patency rate, confirmed by arteriographies in 32 cases, was about 92%. At the end of training all the microvascular surgical procedures, even the most sophisticated, were patent at 100 %. The discussion emphasizes some points of technic concerning the choice of micro-instruments, sutures and clips and the realisation of submillimetric micro-anastomosis.