High-frequency pulsed Doppler ultrasound: a new tool for microvascular surgery

A wide variety of surgical procedures now depend on the suture repair of vessels smaller than 1.5 mm. The need persists, however, for a rapid and objective test of patency that is atraumatic. Small-vessel studies indicate that the high-frequency (20 MHz) pulsed Doppler velocimeter is particulary well suited for this task. We have evaluated the ability of such a system to quantitate stenosis produced by partial ligation in a rat model, and report its initial successful use as an intraoperative tool to determine the quality of microvascular anastomoses.