Human umbilical cord vein as arterial substitute in the dog

The aim of this study was to compare human umbilical cord vein grafts (HUCV), treated in different ways, as arterial substitutes in the dog. A portion of the infrarenal abdominal aorta was replaced by a fresh HUCV in 18 dogs. Six HUCV grafts were covered with a vascular dacron prosthesis, 4 of them stayed open during a follow-up time of one year, 2 became occluded. Within an interval of 4 weeks, aneurysms developed in the uncovered 12 HUCV grafts. They also thrombosed within 3 months. The infrarenal abdominal aorta was replaced by HUCV grafts treated with glutaraldehyde in 39 dogs. Within a follow-up time of six months, all grafts were patent and no aneurysm formation could be observed. Eight biografts were compared with eight PTFE grafts ileofemoral positions. Six Biografts as well as six PTFE grafts were patent after six weeks.