Poly(glycolic acid) sutures in canine vascular anastomoses

Poly(glycolic acid) (Dexon; Davis and Geck Company) canine vascular anastomoses between aorta and synthetic grafts and between severed femoral vessels were compared with comparable anastomoses made with Teflon-coated Dacron (Tevdek; The Deknatel Company) with respect to clinical performance, morphologic characteristics, and tensile strength. While the Dexon anastomoses performed well and were morphologically superior to Tevdek, their tensile strength was significantly lower. Implications of these findings for vascular wound healing are discussed.