Effects Of Vascular Freezing On Patency And Healing Following Microarterial Anastomosis In Rabbits

Ryu, Sun Youl

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of vacular freezing on the patency and healing following microarterial anastomosis. Twenty rabbits were used. In the control group, end-to-end anastomosis was performed on the left femoral artery with lidocaine dropping over the artery. In the vascular-freezing group, vascular freezing was done with a hand-held liquid nitrogen oxide spray for 5 seconds and followed anastomosis on the right femoral artery. The peripheral perfusion scan using Thallium-201 were taken using a dual-headed gamma camera and the blood flow index of both legs was calculated at pre-anastomosis, 1, 7, and 14 days after anastomosis. The animals were sacrificed at 14 days after anastomosis and the anastomosis arteries were harvested for histologic and scanning electron microscopic examination. Macroscopically the reliefs of vascular spasms were satisfactorily obtained in both groups. The mean blood flow index of the vascular-freezing group was slightly higher than that of the control group in peripheral perfusion scan, and there was no significant difference between two groups. Microscopically the decreased cellularity and the disarranged arterial wall were observed, but no harmful effect on the healing of anastomosis was found in the vascular-freezing group in compared with the control group. By the scanning electron microscope, the patency of the vascular-freezing group was better than that of the control group. The results suggest that the vascular freezing method was effective for patency and had no harmful effect on healing after microarterial anastomosis in compared with topical application of lidocaine.