title: Does the nicotine patch help in the postoperative period for arterial vessel repair?
abstract: This study attempts to determine whether a nicotine patch will affect the patency rate of the femoral artery anastomosis in a smoking rat model. Twenty-four rats underwent a smoking protocol of 4 weeks of exposure to cigarette smoke in a smoking chamber at 1 hour per day, using a 1:10 dilution of unfiltered cigarette smoke. Each rat then underwent a femoral artery transaction and anastomosis. Postoperatively, the rats were divided into two groups of 12. Group I had no postoperative smoking or nicotine therapy. Group II had nicotine patch treatment only. The femoral artery was evaluated for flow 7-days postoperatively. At the time of anastomosis, the femoral arteries were smaller in diameter, averaging 0.5 mm (0.4-0.7 mm) as opposed to the normal 0.75-1 mm. All anastomoses were patent at 5 min when the wound was closed. No difference in patency rate occurred with the use of the nicotine patch.
authors.affiliation: The Curtis National Hand Center, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
authors.forename: Vince
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Battista
authors.forename: Sione P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Fanua
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Shaw Wilgis
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D000818:Animals; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D051381:Rats; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods; D014654:Vascular Patency / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine