A novel regulable sutureless aortic arch prosthesis: An experimental study / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective: To develop a novel regulable sutureless aortic arch prosthesis and to apply it in an animal experimental study. Methods: The arch skeleton of the prosthesis was made of tandem Z-shape NiTiNOL wire; the branch skeleton was made of laser-cut NiTiNOL tube; and the whole skeleton was coated with thin ePTFE film. The blood vessel was anastomosed by direct ligature, needing no manual suturing. The prosthesis was applied in swine aortic arch operations under the bypass condition. The practicality for surgery and the feasibility of anastomosis of the prosthesis were assessed. Results: Aortic arch operations were successfully performed in 6 of the 8 experimental animals. The prostheses were easy to use, and the mean bypass time was only 10 min. The blood loss of the anastomoses was less than 100 ml within 8 h postoperatively in 5 animals; one had more blood loss due to prosthesis mismatch. Conclusion: The novel regulable sutureless aortic arch prosthesis has satisfactory practicality for surgery and reliable anastomosis, making it promising in future clinical application.