An onlay vein patch technique for the repair of small vessels

A method for the repair of defects in small blood vessels is described, using an oversized onlay autogenous vein patch tacked to the adventitia. The technique has been evaluated experimentally and it has been shown that vessels repaired with a patch remain patient with normal blood flow. By contrast, vessels repaired by direct suturing have a high incidence of mural thrombus formation and sluggish flow. The clinical usefulness of the method is illustrated by a case report describing the salvage of a free flap with a damaged vascular pedicle.