Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2025
A Modified Vessel-Sparing Microsurgical Vasoepididymostomy
Published on: June 8, 2022
RANDOMIZED EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF TOPICAL VASODILATORS IN MICROSURGERY WITH COST ANALYSIS
Renato Polese Rusig1, Debora Yumi Yoshimura Orlandin Alves1, Amanda de Oliveira Silva Nascimento1
1Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Hand Surgery and Reconstructive Microsurgery Group, Instituto de Ortopedia e Traumatologia Hospital das Clínicas HC-FMUSP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Objective:
Throughout microsurgical anastomosis, many surgeons use topical vasodilators in order to reduce pathological vasospasm. It was carried out an experimental study comparing the effectiveness of topical use of Nitroglycerin, Papaverine, Magnesium sulfate over a control group in the femoral artery and vein of rats, in reducing prolonged vasospasm.
Methods:
Randomized comparative experimental study in 15 rats, divided into four groups. The external diameter of the vases soaked in the randomized solution was measured. For statistical analysis, it was calculated the percentual increase in the external diameter of the vessels.
Results:
A statistically significant increase in arterial dilation was observed after 10 minutes of topical application of 10% magnesium sulfate compared to the control group, with p = 0.044 . No other drug showed a vasodilator effect superior to the control group. Magnesium sulfate at 10% is still not used in microsurgery and costs 15 times less than papaverine, the standard drug for topical vasodilation in clinical cases at our service.
Conclusion:
Magnesium sulfate had better vasodilating effects over the control group after 10 minutes of arterial microanastomosis. None of the tested drugs have presented superior vasodilating effects over each other nor the control group after venous microanastomosis. Level of evidence II, Experimental study, Randomized Trial.
