title: Angiographic, ultrasonographic, and macroscopic assessment of aortic growth after VCS clips, interrupted polypropylene, or running polyglycolic acid anastomosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lack of growth after surgery is still an unsolved issue in growing vessels. Aortic surgery is an integral part of vascular pediatric surgery. As an alternative to address this lack of growth in this scenario, we propose the use of titanium clips for vascular anastomosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two domestic swine were used in this study. Animals entered the study when they were 55 days old and were subjected to an end-to-end aortic anastomosis using vascular closure stapler (VCS) clips, interrupted polypropylene, or running polyglycolic acid suture. Control group animals were sham-operated. Pigs were allowed to grow for 6 months, during which time they were subjected to serial ultrasonographic and angiographic studies to assess vascular growth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VCS clip anastomosis outcome was comparable with polypropylene or polyglycolic acid suture anastomosis. No significant differences in either longitudinal or transversal vascular growth were seen between the 3 studied suturing techniques and the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our vascular growth and patency results suggest that VCS clips may provide a suitable alternative to conventional suture in pediatric aortic vascular surgery.
authors.affiliation: Microsurgery Department, Minimally Invasive Surgery Centre, 10071 Cáceres, Spain. mccalles@ccmi.es
authors.forename: Maria Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Calles-Vázquez
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Crisóstomo
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Usón-Gargallo
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D000818:Animals; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development / Q000601:surgery*; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000517:prevention & control; D001027:Aortography; D008297:Male; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D011126:Polypropylenes; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D011897:Random Allocation; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013537:Sutures; D014025:Titanium; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D014654:Vascular Patency
chemical_list: D011126:Polypropylenes; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D014025:Titanium