title: Studies of polyglycolic acid hollow self-retaining vasal stent in vasovasostomy.
abstract: A simple method of vasovasostomy using a unique hollow, biflanged, hydrolyzable, self-retaining intraluminal stent made of polyglycolic acid (PGA) was evaluated in rat and dog animal models. The stented vasovasostomy was compared with a modified two-layer technique in a randomized prospective trial in rats. Twenty of 22 vasovasostomies using the 0.8890 mm and 0.9398 mm stents were patent, whereas only 4 of 22 vasovasostomies using a modified two-layer anastomosis without a stent were patent (P less than 0.01). Eight dogs underwent implantation of the absorbable vasovasostomy stent on one side and two-layer vasovasostomy on the other. Scanning electron microscopy showed superior re-epithelialization and closer return to normal morphology in the stented vasovasostomies than with the conventional two-layer technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Washington 98104.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Jessen
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Patton
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Bardin
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Chapman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D004867:Equipment Design; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006099:Granuloma / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014649:Vas Deferens / Q000473:pathology; D014669:Vasovasostomy / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D011100:Polyglycolic Acid