Influence of time from donor death to graft harvest on conduit function of cryopreserved aortic allografts in lambs.
We examined the influence of time from donor death to graft harvest on conduit function of aortic allografts in the thoracic aortic position in 18 lambs (mean weight, 11.4 kg). Five grafts were harvested immediately after donor death (fresh), seven at 24 hours, and six at 48 hours following cadaver storage at 4 degrees C. All grafts were treated with antibiotics and were stored by cryopreservation. All animals were catheterized postoperatively and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. One animal in the 24-hour group developed an allograft aneurysm, and another one died from a ruptured allograft; one graft in the fresh group occluded by nine months. No animal, however, in the 48-hour group either developed an aneurysm or occluded. There was in fact minimal change in graft diameter over time (p greater than 0.05), while the native aorta grew appropriately (greater than 50%, p less than 0.01). Forty-eight hour delay from donor death to graft harvest did not have significant effect on conduit function. This information may expand the donor pool for allografts.
Department of Cardiac Surgery, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
K
K
Kadoba
L
L
Armiger
K
K
Sawatari
R A
RA
Jonas
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001011:Aorta; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000209:etiology; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000209:etiology; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D015925:Cryopreservation; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000209:etiology*; D012756:Sheep; D013997:Time Factors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents