Short-term tissue response of lapine carotid artery microanastomoses to BioGlue.

BACKGROUND

Minimally invasive coronary artery surgery needs fast, reliable and easy methods of carrying out anastomoses. The aim of our study was to evaluate the use of BioGlue in sutureless vascular anastomoses in the lapine model.

METHODS

In 24 New Zealand white rabbits, 43 transsected carotid arteries were re-anastomosed using either a combination of balloon catheterisation and BioGlue or a conventional suture. In five carotid arteries, only BioGlue was applied. The animals were euthanised and tissue samples were taken for histological and immunohistological examination.

RESULTS

A higher inflammatory cell infiltrate was present in the glue control and glue anastomosis groups, with the invasion of inflammatory cells located especially at the junction between the wall with and the wall without glue. Early calcification was detected in two arteries.

CONCLUSION

The results of this short-term study show that the rabbit is an adequate as well as a sensitive model for the study of microanastomoses by glueing. Marked inflammatory reactions developed which may lead to vascular sclerosis or stenosis, and long-term studies are necessary to elucidate this problem further.