New method for autogenous vein grafting with the telescoping anastomotic technique

An experimental study was performed to examine whether a microsurgical telescoping anastomotic technique could be applied twice in one vessel, for use in autogenous vein grafting. The rat inferior epigastric vein was grafted into a defect created in the femoral artery. The original telescoping method of Lauritzen was used, with two additional suture placements, to allow anastomosis at both proximal and distal sites. By placing the four sutures symmetrically and carefully timing the removal of the proximal and distal clamps, we achieved a patency rate of 77.3%. This is a new method for autogenous vein grafting that may serve as a prototype for an easier and possibly faster vein grafting technique. Our results appear to indicate that complete coaptation of the severed vessel ends is not necessarily required for patency in microvascular repair.