Vascular Cryopreservation in Microsurgery

Abstract

Cyropreservation of blood vessels has been carried out for some decades with variable results. A rabbit model was used to compare cryopreserved femoral artery allografts (n = 12 arteries), fresh autografts (n = 15 arteries), and fresh allografts (n = 16 arteries) at 1 and 3 months postoperatively. Patency rates were highest in the fresh autografts (86.7 percent), followed by the cryopreserved allografts (66.7 percent at 1 month and 83.3 percent at 3 months) and fresh allografts (62.5 percent at 1 month and 75 percent at 3 months). The fresh allografts showed the greatest alterations in endothelial cells and intima and muscle layer, followed by cryopreserved allografts, and then fresh autografts. Changes observed included pseudoendothelium formation, thickened intima, and thinner muscle layer. Cellular infiltrate appeared on the vessel walls only in the cryopreserved allografts (25 percent), but this did not have an effect on vascular patency. Fresh autografts remain the graft of choice for vascular defects, but cryopreserved allografts serve as the most appropriate option when the former are unavailable.

Xenotransplantation of cryopreserved composite organs on the rabbit

“…avoid the constitution of the No-reflow phenomenon generated at the sites of injured endotheluim cells. [8][9][10][11][12] Further experimentation is certainly necessary, using either a model closer to man, or performing allotransplants directly on animals.…”

Implante de traquéia de Gallus domesticus na microanastomose arterial em cães

“…A técnica de criopreservação tem sido citada desde o início do século XX por Carrel e novamente testada na conservação de vasos sangüíneos no final deste mesmo século [19,4]. O glutaraldeído foi utilizado pela primeira vez por Carpentier em 1968 e posteriormente foi utilizado para reduzir a antigenicidade de vasos sangüíneos [22].…”

Time‐related Histopathologic Changes in Fresh Frozen Carotid Xenografts in a Pig‐to‐Goat Implantation Model

“…Cryopreservation is commonly used in the clinical field for preserving viable tissues despite the risks of inducing some structural alterations. It is commonly accepted that cryopreservation itself diminishes the rejection reaction by endothelial denudation and altering the medial muscle layer (20,21). However, based on the observations of canine coronary arteries stored at -75°C for 1-7 days, despite some endothelial loss, the functional properties of smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells were well preserved (22).…”