Experimental and clinical experience with human umbilical cord for vascular replacement: continued follow-up

Longterm follow-up of both experimental (including histological and angiographic study) and clinical work are presented. Patency rate of 68% at 2 years for femoro-popliteal bypass and 60% for arteriovenous fistulae are reported. No implants were lost because of disruption, disintegration or aneurysmal degeneration of the graft. These results support the continuous use of the human umbilical cord as a vascular substitute.