STUDY ON ARTIFICIAL URETER

Experimental study on artificial ureter using EPTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene)

Abstract

The present experiments were performed to investigate the feasibility of EPTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene), currently used as artificial blood vessels with a high patency rate, as a material for artificial ureter. Two kinds to EPTFE were used, one with a fibril length 30μ and the other 60μ In the preliminary experiment, a thin EPTFE plate of either Rind was subcutaneously embedded in the chests of adult mongrel dogs to be recovered after varying period of time, so as to observe time-dependent histopathological changes. The implantation was found to be followed by a series of histopathological changes; first, EPTFE meshes were invaded by inflammatory, infiltrating cells such as lymphocytes and neutrophils, then inflammatory cells decreased while fibroblasts migrated into the meshes, and, as days passed, inflammatory cells disappeared and fibroblasts became fibrocytes.
In the ureteral graft experiment on 20 adult mongrel dogs where the ureter was replaced by EPTFE the same histopathological changes as observed in the preliminary experiment occurred, the response to foreign body was absent, formation of stones was not observed, urinary leakage or deformation was absent, and the tubular structure was conserved in the 30μ group.
It is concluded that EPTFE is suitable as a material of artificial ureter, and EPTFE artificial ureter is more useful than conventional hard artificial ureter, i. e., clinical prospects for EPTFE ureter are good.