The effect of predetermined thrombotic potential of the recipient on small-caliber graft performance

This study was designed to establish the influence of the recipient's thrombotic potential on the patency of small-caliber prostheses and to evaluate the subsequent improvement of graft performance by medicinally altering the prostaglandin balance in subjects predisposed to graft occlusion. Mongrel dogs were pretested and classified as low and high responders according to their thrombotic potential, measured as prostaglandin metabolite balance and platelet aggregability. High responders were randomly divided into two groups. Those assigned to serve as the medicated subjects were pretreated 1 week before surgery with a single oral daily administration of combined dazmegrel (UK-38,485) and aspirin in equal dosages of 3 mg/kg. Medication was continued throughout the experiment. Dacron grafts were implanted bilaterally in the carotid artery site in all subjects. Following a 3-week implantation period, the patency rate for the group with low thrombotic potential was 100%. In the animals with high thrombotic potential the patency rate was 10% for nonmedicated subjects and 100% for medicated subjects. These data support the concept that the thrombotic potential largely determines the capacity of the recipient's blood to thrombose small-caliber prostheses. Effective medicinal alteration of prostaglandin balance results in exceptionally increased patency of synthetic grafts.