Postoperative alteration in the size of Dacron vascular prostheses implanted in the infrarenal abdominal aorta.

The degree and significance of postoperative alteration in the size of Dacron grafts in the infrarenal abdominal aorta was assessed by computed tomography. We studied a total of 41 knitted Dacron fabric grafts, comprising 28 Gelseal triaxial grafts and 13 Hemashield Microvel grafts, and 29 woven Dacron fabric (Veri-Soft Woven) grafts which were used to replace the infrarenal abdominal aneurysms. These three types of Dacron fabric dilated immediately after replacement to 1.4-1.5 times the manufactured size, but did not dilate further after the surgery.