[Revascularization using the greater omentum. Results of an experimental study in dogs. Clinical perspectives...

An experimental study was conducted in dogs to study the increase an vascular supply to an ischemic zone after transplantation of the greater omentum. The study design, applied in eleven dogs, is described, and the various technical details emphasized : staged vascular ligature of one paw, preparation of the omentum, and transplantation using microsurgical procedures. The circulatory deficiency, evaluated by comparison with the healthy or similarly ligatured opposite paw, is well-compensated by the omental transplant, and a new circulation is established. This is apparent on pathological examinations and arteriography. Isotopic angiography, by means of labelled erythrocytes, supplies proof that a vascular pool is effectively derived from the transplanted organ and that it reaches the distal region of the ischemic limb. The increase in blood supply obtained suggests the possibility of new clinical indications. Apart from omentoplasty, already widely used in plastic surgery, the omentum could perhaps also be effective in certain areas of cardiovascular surgery, especially in some cases of arteritis where the distal vascular bed is greatly reduced. Further experimental studies, such as these described, are necessary before using this technique in humans.