Polyester prostheses as substitutes in the thoracic aorta of dogs. II. Evaluation of albuminated polyester grafts stored in ethanol.

In an attempt to find an alternative procedure to the preclotting of porous textile vascular prostheses, the feasibility of an albumin coating and ethanol preservation technique has been evaluated by implanting albuminated polyester prostheses as substitutes in the thoracic aorta of dogs. Nine different grafts representing woven, knitted, and velour constructions were implanted for periods ranging from 4 h to 6 months. At the sacrifice, the grafts were excized for measurement of the thrombogenicity of the flow surface, for pathological examination by light microscopy and SEM, and for quantifying the changes in the textile structure during implantation. Also the kidneys were removed and examined for infarcts caused by trapped circulating emboli. The healing characteristics of the nine different grafts proved similar and followed the same sequence of events as preclotted control grafts. The albumin coating and ethanol preservation resulted in a somewhat slower rate of healing. Yet, given sufficient time, a more completely healed graft was achieved as evidenced by the presence of endothelial-like cells throughout the length of the graft. In addition, the albumin is believed to reinforce the textile structure by reducing the tendency to stretch and dilate in vivo.