The importance of small-vessel anastomosis has burgeoned in recent years. This is partially due to the accomplishment of whole-organ homotransplantation of such organs as kidney, spleen, and liver, which require anastomosis of small arteries and veins. It is desirable that the method of connection of the vessels be rapid, so that the period of ischemia of the transplanted organ be made as short as possible. One method of rapid anastomosis was introduced in 1942 by Blakemore, Lord, and Stefko.5 Their technique employed short cylinders made of Vitallium. These Blakemore-Lord cuffs have been utilized in small-vein anastomoses during transplantation operations. For example, Roberts and Douglass9 recently reported using a free jejunal autograft as replacement after resection of the hypopharynx and cervical esophagus for carcinoma. They joined the mesenteric vein of the jejunal graft to the middle thyroid vein using a 3 mm. Blakemore-Lord cuff.
This study was designed to