Summary
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.
Methods and 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.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 10, 2007
Accepted:
October 4,
2006
Received:
March 3,
2006
Footnotes
☆Ventrica was acquired by Medtronic, Inc., which now controls the rights to this technology.
☆☆Some data were presented at the Plastic Surgery Research Council in Las Vegas, April, 2003 and some at the Second World Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery, Heidelberg, Germany, June 2003, where it received the ‘Best Basic Science’ paper award.
Identification
Copyright
© 2007 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
