The Artificial Artery

The development of a suitable arterial substitute that would be durable in the long term has been a cherished goal of vascular surgeons and physicians for decades. Over this time period various conduits have been tried with varying degrees of success, but today we continue to use the autogenous veins and arteries that were proven successful for bypass grafting over 20 years ago. Despite the arrival of tissue engineering the ultimate prize of a totally artificial artery still eludes us, but a number of recent developments in this exciting field suggests that this goal may not be as distant as previously thought.