[Demonstration of neo-intima in PTFE-prostheses after venous replacement in dogs]

Because of the danger of thrombosis, venous replacement by prostheses is a yet clinically unsolved problem. We tested the PTFE-prosthesis at the positions of vena cava inferior and iliac veins in dogs. Already eight weeks after operation, the inner surface of the prosthesis was covered by a thin neo-intima, which by light microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy was shown to contain a basal membrane and endothelial cells. This continuous layer may be responsible for the observed low rate of thrombosis. These findings suggest that the PTFE-prosthesis may offer advantages for venous replacement in patients.