Evaluation of synthetic and biosynthetic conduits used as aorto-pulmonary shunts in growing pigs.
Synthetic and biosynthetic conduits 6 mm in internal diameter and 3 cm long were implanted as aorto-pulmonary shunts in 4 week old piglets. The synthetic conduit was made of Polytetrafluoroethylene (P.T.F.E.) manufactured by Gore-Tex; the biosynthetic graft was prepared by tanning bovine ureters and covering it with a polyester mesh. Two groups of six animals for each conduit underwent operation. Following implantation, when the animals were physiologically stable, the pressure and blood flow were measured in the pulmonary artery, conduit and aorta, and at the same time blood gases were obtained. These measurements were repeated four weeks later, following which the grafts were excised and processed for histological studies. All the conduits were patent, 4 weeks after implantation, but whereas there was little difference in the flows through the bovine grafts (506 ml/min) there was a marked reduction in the flow through the Gore-Tex conduit (235 ml/min). These differences could be related to the changes seen histologically. No drugs were used to affect patency of the conduits in this study.
D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000601:surgery*; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D002417:Cattle; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular; D006439:Hemodynamics; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation; D013552:Swine
D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene