title: Comparison of laser vascular welding, interrupted sutures, and continuous sutures in growing vascular anastomoses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The argon laser-assisted vascular anastomosis may solve the problems of conventional sutured anastomosis, such as vascular stenosis and arrest of growth owing to a foreign-body reaction to suture material.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve argon laser-assisted vascular anastomoses, seven conventional anastomoses with interrupted sutures, and five conventional anastomoses with continuous sutures were performed in 12 young mongrel dogs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five months later, the external diameter at the anastomosis had increased 70.5% in the laser group, 67.0% in the interrupted suture group, and 22.9% in the continuous suture group. Histological examination of the laser-assisted anastomoses showed almost complete healing, with no granulomatous response around the anastomotic site. In the interrupted suture group, marked scaring and foreign body reactions were observed on the vessel wall at the site of the anastomosis. The continuous suture group showed more remarkable disorientation of the vascular layer and intimal hyperplasia than the interrupted suture group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vascular anastomosis using the argon laser offers advantages over the conventional procedure in growing vessels.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Nagoya University, School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chikamatsu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nishikimi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nimura
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D007083:Iliac Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods; D013536:Suture Techniques; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D014945:Wound Healing