EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE HEALING PROCESSES AFTER MICROVASCULAR ANASTOMOSES;Light and Scanning electron microscopic observations

미세혈관 문합수술후 치유과정에 관한 실험적 연구

Because failure of microvascular flap grafting has sometimes been attributed to vascular obstruction in the anastomotic site, this study investigated the healing process after microvascular anastomoses. The healing process of anastomotic sites were observed by the use of the light and the scanning electron microscope after microvascular anastomoses of the right common carotid artery in rats. The experimental animals were sacrificed on the 4th day, 1st, 2nd, 4th and 6th week. Throughout the whole experimental period, arterial patency rate was 78% (11/14). At the early stage, it was possible to recognize histologically disappearance of endothelial cell and rupture of part of the media. Subintimal hyperplasia and the growth of media appeared around the suture line at the 2nd week. Endothelial cell regeneration occurred and the depth of vessel wall was normalized at the 4th week. By the scanning electron microscope, at the early stage, the anastomotic site was covered with many platelets, red blood cells, fibrins and macrophages. At the 4th week, the insertion site of the thread was completely covered with normal endothelial cells which were parallel to longitudinal axis of vessels and complete reendothelialization over the anastomotic site seemed to take about 6th week.