Laser-assisted fibrinogen bonding of vascular tissue.
Characterization of the stress-strain profiles of welded tissue would provide an additional means of analyzing this new technology and comparing it with alternative anastomosing techniques. Rabbit longitudinal aortotomies were repaired with either 7-O polypropylene sutures or an 808-nm diode laser (power density, 4.8 watts/cm2) after topical application of fibrinogen mixed with indocyanine green dye (peak absorption, 805 nm). The rabbits were sacrificed between 0 and 28 days, and the fresh aortic specimens were strained axially in diluted plasma solution until ultimate breakage occurred in order to produce a stress-strain profile graph. No significant differences were noted between sutured and bonded aorta at any time interval. Nonincised aortic tissue (378 lb/in2) withstood significantly higher stress (P less than 0.05) than both sutured (257 lb/in2) and bonded (210 lb/in2) groups at the time of creation. By 7 days after operation, however, no significant differences were noted among any of the three groups. At 28 days after operation, the laser-bonded aorta was significantly stronger than the control aorta (P less than 0.05). The only significant difference in modulus (stretchability) identified the sutured aorta (373 lb/in2) to be more rigid than the control aorta (231 lb/in2) (P less than 0.05). Both sutured and laser-bonded anastomoses are weaker than control aorta initially; however, after an early critical period, both treatments achieve the strength of control aorta. By 1 month postoperatively, sutured anastomoses have the disadvantage of being less distensible.
Department of Surgery, Medical Center of Delaware, Wilmington.
R C
RC
Ashton
M C
MC
Oz
J F
JF
Lontz
M
M
Matsumae
R
R
Taylor
G M
GM
Lemole
N
N
Shapira
G M
GM
Lemole
D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000601:surgery; D005340:Fibrinogen; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D011817:Rabbits; D013537:Sutures; D013718:Tensile Strength; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*
D005340:Fibrinogen