Early performance appraisal of the Omniflow II Vascular Prosthesis as an indicator of long-term function

The search for the ideal vascular prosthesis for below the knee replacement or coronary surgery continues. Long-term explant analysis of a biosynthetic composite vessel, the Omniflow Vascular Prosthesis I, has previously shown sound structural durability. An important determinant in defining durability has been the evaluation of the degree of persistence of the original biological components and the augmentation by new tissue. The development of a panel of specific monoclonal antibodies to collagens, that allow detection of new host collagen among the original collagens of the prosthesis has been a key factor. In the present study, these antibodies have been used to investigate the degree and rate of new collagen tissue infiltration in an improved version of the Omniflow prosthesis. The data show that new collagen types III and VI can be detected as early as 3 months in the adventitial tissue, and that complete tissue augmentation throughout the entire vessel wall is apparent by 6 months after implant. The novel explant analyses serve as a good predictive indication to the in vivo performance of the device and would be useful in rapid monitoring of further modifications to this vessel or to other collagen-based prostheses.