Abstract
Soft and pliable, low porous vascular prosthesis has been developed. In general, low porous vascular prostheses, the fabrics of which are knitted very tightly, are hard and tough to use. Besids, the healing of their neointimae are very poor. In this study, a soft and pliable textile made of ultra fine fibers of polyester were used as a low porous vascular prosthesis. The fibers (0.12 denier, 3.0 micron in diameter) are produced by Toray Co. Ltd, for an artificial leather. Six vascular prostheses made of the textile of 7mm in internal diameter and 5.7cm in length were implanted in the thoracic descending aortae of 6 dogs, The porosity of them was 200c.c./cm2, 120mmHg, H2O). As for the control, a dacron knitted prosthesis of the market (2.0 denier, 20 micron in diameter, porosity: 400) was used. The prostheses were removed from the experimental animals from 2 days to 99 days after the implantation. Compared with the control, the prosthesis showed a rapid healing of their neointimae. There were no degenerative changes, nor carcification, in their neointimae. Fibroblasts invaded very rapidly into the intersticis of the fibers of the ultra fine polyester. The ultra fine fibers of the prosthesis showed excellent affinity with the cells which composed the neointimae. From these results, the softness of the prosthesis and the cell affinity of the fibers are the biggest advantages of the new prosthesis.
