Femoral Vascular Graft Implantation in a Swine Model to Test Small-Diameter Vascular Grafts

Small-diameter vascular grafts (≤6 mm) are a key focus due to their frequent use in clinical applications and the challenges they present in terms of graft patency and long-term function. Swine serves as an ideal preclinical model for testing such grafts, as their arterial calibers and physiology closely resemble that of humans. This study provides a detailed protocol for testing experimental small-diameter vascular grafts (≤6 mm) in a translational model. In this approach, a segment of the right femoral artery was excised and replaced with an experimental graft. The excised arterial segment served as an autograft and was implanted in the left femoral artery to function as a control. Anastomoses were performed using continuous sutures. Both grafts were monitored non-invasively using Doppler ultrasound, enabling real-time assessment of blood flow and graft patency. On day 30, prior to euthanasia, an angiography was performed. The procedure demonstrated the successful integration of the autograft into the femoral artery, with 100% patency on day 30, as confirmed through Doppler ultrasound. The optimal results in the autograft highlight the feasibility of the surgical technique, providing an ideal platform for studying small diameter (≤6 mm) vascular grafts and offering insights into graft remodeling and potential therapeutic interventions to improve graft patency and long-term outcomes.