A Clinical and Pathologic Analysis of Rupture of Aortic Homografts

Introduction  The need for a method of bridging defects in major arteries in various injuries and diseases has long been felt. The attempts to restore vascular continuity have led to the use of various substances. Carrell, in 1910, was the first to investigate the functional and histological results with preserved arterial homografts.¹ He used as grafts the carotid arteries of dogs. These vessel segments were kept in a refrigerator in different media for varying periods of time. The media used were isotonic saline, Locke's solution, humid air, and defibrinated blood.Gross² reintroduced the arterial graft, and since 1948 the problem has been vigorously studied. It is now generally believed that several methods of storage and preservation of vascular grafts are acceptable. These include the following:1. Storage in nutrient media at 1-4 C²2. Deep-freeze techniques^3,43. Lyophilization^5-8In addition to the problems of storage,