title: Implantation of novel small-diameter polyurethane vascular prostheses interposed in canine femoral and carotid arteries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The performance of small-diameter (3-5-mm) vascular grafts still poses a challenge in the field of vascular surgery. We present here our preliminary experience with implanting unique small-sized polycarbonate urethane vascular grafts in 7 dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Each animal was implanted with 4 interposition grafts, 2 femoral and 2 carotid. No anti-thrombotic medication was administered. Doppler sonography was performed at 3-month intervals to examine for patency and flow characteristics. Animals were sacrificed electively at 3, 6 and 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 3 months, all grafts were patent. After 6 months, 3 grafts occluded and at 1 year a further 6 grafts occluded. Hence 9 of 28 grafts occluded (67.9% patency). During the study, no correlation could be established between flow velocity or resistance index and occlusion. Histopathology showed intimal hyperplasia to be the cause of occlusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared to literature data on small-diameter grafts in the same position, ADIAM's Biomechanical grafts performed clearly better. Compliance data suggest a correlation between elastic compliance and patency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, SSK Diskapi Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Karapinar
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Ulus
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Tütün
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aksöyek
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Apaydin
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pamuk
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Can
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Saritaş
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Küçükay
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arda
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Katircioğlu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000517:prevention & control; D006085:Graft Survival; D008297:Male; D011140:Polyurethanes; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler
chemical_list: D011140:Polyurethanes