The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Jun 2008
Comparative StudyA novel bioengineered small-caliber vascular graft incorporating heparin and sirolimus: excellent 6-month patency.
A bioengineered microporous polycarbonate-siloxane polyurethane graft has been developed for coronary artery bypass grafting. Biological agents can be impregnated into its absorbable collagen and hyaluronan microstructure and stable macrostructure to promote patency. The objective of this study was to examine the in vivo biological performance and biomechanical characteristics of this graft. ⋯ A unique drug-eluting graft had excellent patency throughout the 6 months after implantation. The heparin-sirolimus graft encouraged luminal endothelialization without excessive intimal hyperplasia. This graft performed significantly better than the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft. This graft has the potential to become an implantable graft for coronary artery bypass grafting.