The relationship between the number of sutures and the strength of microvascular anastomoses.
The relative strengths of microvascular anastomoses in rat femoral arteries were measured, comparing controls (no anastomosis) to those with 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 stitches. The ones in which 8 sutures were used most closely paralleled the control state, whereas those with 4 or 6 sutures were clearly inferior. With a greater number of sutures the vessel behaves as a "shorter" vessel, with the anastomosis becoming the weakest part of the vessel.
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D013536:Suture Techniques; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*