[Short-term preservation of venous transplants and evaluation of their viability]

A method for short-term (7 days) storage of venous grafts was developed. The grafts were stored in 2% solution of neutral formaldehyde and isotonic buffer solution (Henks' solution). The viability and tissue metabolism were studied in grafts taken from 54 patients who underwent operation for primary varicosity of the lower limb veins without trophic disorders. Light and electron microscopy as well as biochemical tests showed that grafts stored in Henks' solution maintain viability for up to 7 days, while those stored in a 2% neutral formaldehyde solution for 2 days cannot be used as allografts in reconstructive operations on the lower limbs.