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3D-Printed Sugar-Based Stents Facilitating Vascular Anastomosis
Ali Farzin1, Amir K Miri1, Fatemeh Sharifi1,2
1Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02139, USA.
Advanced Healthcare Materials
|October 31, 2018
Summary
New dissolvable sugar-based stents simplify arterial anastomosis, a challenging surgical step. These 3D-printed stents, with added sodium citrate to prevent thrombosis, are fast to fabricate and dissolve quickly after use.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Surgical Innovation
- Medical Device Design
Background:
- Microvascular anastomosis is crucial for reconstructive and transplant surgeries.
- Current arterial anastomosis relies on time-consuming and difficult surgical suturing.
- Existing venous anastomosis devices are not suitable for arterial procedures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel assistive tool for surgical anastomosis.
- To create dissolvable, sugar-based stents for facilitating arterial microanastomosis.
- To investigate the potential of 3D printing for fabricating these specialized stents.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of dissolvable sugar-based stents using 3D printing.
- Incorporation of sodium citrate to mitigate thrombosis risk.
- Tailoring stent dissolution rates (4-8 min) and mechanical properties.
- Ex vivo assessment of the 3D-printed sugar-based stent's effectiveness.
Main Results:
- Successfully fabricated 3D-printed, nonbrittle sugar-based stents.
- Stents effectively hold vessels during anastomosis and dissolve post-procedure.
- Incorporation of sodium citrate reduced thrombosis potential.
- Fabrication process is rapid and suitable for operating room environments.
Conclusions:
- 3D-printed dissolvable sugar-based stents offer a promising solution to challenges in arterial anastomosis.
- The developed stents are safe, effective, and can be rapidly produced.
- This innovation has the potential to improve surgical outcomes in reconstructive and transplant procedures.
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