title: Vein graft anastomoses with magnets.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Performing vascular anastomoses requires complete circumferential access and is time-consuming and technically challenging. The purpose of our study was to assess a sutureless magnetic device for anastomosing vein grafts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oval magnets with a lumen were placed in six male foxhounds. The femoral artery was ligated and an 8 cm length of femoral vein was harvested and reversed. After a 4 mm venotomy or arteriotomy, one magnet was inserted into each vessel lumen and a second magnet was placed outside the vessel but aligned directly over the intraluminal magnet, forming a magnetic port in each vessel. The graft and target vessels were then allowed to self-align and seal, creating a side-to-side anastomosis. Patency was confirmed with duplex Doppler ultrasound scans after 6 and 13 weeks and during explantation after 14 weeks. At that time, the contralateral femoral vein was harvested and an acute graft was created as a control. Macroscopically there was no sign of stenoses or aneurysms. After explant, saline was perfused through all grafts and the hydrodynamic resistance was quantified. There was no significant difference in resistance between the acute and 14-week grafts indicating stenosis. Microscopic examination of 14-week anastomoses showed that all blood-contacting surfaces were well-endothelialised.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The magnetic vascular coupler allowed sutureless anastomoses between blood arteries and veins. This device might prove useful for anastomosis of large and small vessels, as well as for anastomosis or approximation of non-vascular structures such as peripheral nerves, fallopian tubes or ureters.
authors.affiliation: Kenan Plastic Surgery Research Laboratories and Biomedical Engineering, Duke University Medical Center, Circuit Dr, Research Park 4, Box 3906, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heitmann
authors.forename: Farah N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Detlev
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Erdmann
authors.forename: Kevin C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Olbrich
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adam Sharkawy
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Klitzman
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006085:Graft Survival; D008280:Magnetics; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency; D014655:Vascular Resistance