Vein and artery growth after anastomosis with vascular closure staple clips vs interrupted polypropylene suture: application in pediatric vascular surgery.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Alternatives are still being sought in vascular surgery to address the problem of arrested growth after anastomosis in growing vessels, and opinions differ widely regarding the most suitable technique. This study compared vascular growth and permeability after anastomosis using the latest-generation vascular closure staple (VCS) system and the conventional suture technique to ascertain which approach yielded better results. METHODS: Thirty 55-day-old lambs underwent end-to-end anastomosis of the carotid artery and jugular vein. Serial ultrasonography and angiography were carried out over the ensuing 6-month growth period, after which lambs were euthanized. RESULTS: Both VCS clips and polypropylene suture allowed longitudinal and transverse vessel growth; however, longitudinal growth was significantly greater in clip-closed vessels than in either sutured or untreated vessels. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained for vascular growth and permeability suggest that VCS clips may provide a suitable alternative to conventional suture in pediatric vascular surgery.

Vascular closure stapler clips versus polypropylene sutures in end-to-end anastomoses of growing arteries and veins.

Alternatives are still being sought in vascular surgery to avoid the complications caused in growing vessels by the various suture techniques and materials currently in use. A major complication is arrested growth following anastomosis. Opinions differ widely regarding the best approach to this problem, and research is currently underway at our center on the latest generation of clip appliers (vascular closure stapler, or VCS) and their potential application as an alternative to the conventional suture technique in pediatric vascular surgery. This study compared vascular growth and reendothelialization following anastomosis of growing arteries and veins using VCS clips versus the conventional interrupted polypropylene suture technique. Thirty 55-day-old lambs underwent end-to-end anastomosis of the carotid artery and jugular vein. Serial ultrasonography and angiography were carried out over the ensuing 6-month growth period, after which the lambs were euthanized. Gross examination of the anastomosis site was followed by histologic examination involving light microscopy, immunohistochemical techniques, and transmission electron microscopy. Although both VCS clips and polypropylene sutures allowed transverse vessel growth, the clips did not penetrate the intima and thus provided enhanced reendothelialization. The satisfactory results obtained here, as in earlier studies, increasingly point to VCS clips as the method of choice in pediatric vascular surgery.

End-to-end anastomosis in growing vessels using a novel suturing technique: VCS metallic staples.

For pediatric transplants, a suturing technique is needed that allows the vessel to grow along with better healing of the anastomosis, through eliminating exogenous and thrombogenic material in the intimal side, thus minimizing the risk of vascular stenosis. In this study, 12 55-day-old lambs were subjected to end-to-end anastomosis of the right carotid artery and external jugular vein using vascular closure staple (VCS) clips (the vessels from the left side served as controls). Animals were followed up with duplex ultrasound. After 6 months, angiography was performed and animals were euthanized for microscopic study of the vessels. Duplex ultrasonography and angiography showed all vessels to be patent, with no flow disturbances and no stenosis at the anastomotic site at 6 months. Stenotic segments caudal to the anastomosis site were seen in two veins. No significant changes were seen macroscopically in any of the veins, whereas one of the arteries developed a pseudoaneurysm at the anastomotic site. Histological structure was normal in all the studied veins. Arteries showed different degrees of modifications that did not affect patency or flow in any case. Measurements taken after 6 months confirm that this technique allows the vessel to grow. This technique may be useful in vascular pediatric surgery.