DACRON ARTERIAL GRAFTS - THE INFLUENCE OF POROSITY, VELOUR, AND MATURITY ON THROMBOGENICITY

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 92  (6) , 947-952
Abstract
The neointimal healing of Dacron arterial prostheses can be enhanced by increasing porosity and including both an internal and an external velour layer. Patients (24) received at random either woven or more porous, double-velour, knitted, Dacron aortobifemoral prostheses. Graft thrombogenicity was measured using autogenous 111In-labeled platelets shortly following surgery and 6-9 mo. later. The thrombogenicity index was defined as the mean daily rise in the ratio of emissions over the graft to emissions over a reference area (aortic arch) and is a measure of platelet deposition. At early study, the mean (.+-. SE) thrombogenicity index was similar in woven and knitted graft patients at 0.19 .+-. 0l4 and 0.14 .+-. 0.2, respectively. In both groups it was lower (P < 0.05) 6-9 mo. later at 0.06 .+-. 0.2 (woven) and 0.08 .+-. 0.1 (knitted), with again no difference between materials. Although platelet survival was restored to near normal values in both groups by 6-9 mo., only 1 woven graft failed to demonstrate continued platelet accumulation by .gamma.-imaging. Thrombogenicity in Dacron grafts diminishes in the early months of maturation but is not affected by porosity and velour. This thrombogenicity persists beyond the period of altered platelet survival.