Reconstruction of Small Arteries: A Study of Methods

Previous Studies  The difficulty in maintaining patency of anastomoses of arteries less than 3 mm in outside diameter was shown by Shumacker in 1948.¹⁵ Seidenberg,¹⁴ in 1958, presented a method which gave a higher percentage of patency in such arteries. Since that time, further study of the techniques of anastomosis of arteries of 1-2 mm in size has given increasingly good results. Various methods of anastomosis have been tried, and the results may be grouped as follows:

Suture Methods.  —Chase, Schwartz, and Rob^2,3 have reported their good results in vessels of 1-2 mm by the use of 7-0 silk suture or fine wire in a classical end-to-end suture method, using a four-power binocular loupe. Jacobson and Suarez¹⁰ reported consistent patency in such vessels using a binocular microscope with magnifications up to 40 diameters. Variations of the classical suture technique have included the use of an electrically