EXPERIMENTAL AND CLINICAL STUDIES ON ARTERIAL HOMO- AND HETERO-GRAFTS PRESERVED IN ALCOHOL

Abstract

FUNDAMENTAL studies of vasal grafts have been conducted by Carrel and Guthrie,* and many others † since early this century, but it is only in recent years that this surgery has come into clinical use, thanks to invaluable work by Gross and his associates,‡ in successful experimental as well as clinical transplantation of arterial homografts. Gross stored grafts in various preservatives, including a balanced salt solution (BSS) resembling Tyrode solution at low temperature in the viable state. Swan and his co-workers § reported the successful use of a preservative consisting of Ringer's solution containing 10% human plasma. The maximum duration of grafts in these viable preservation methods, however, was about 35 to 40 days. Although these works encouraged subsequent researches a great deal, many difficulties were met and had to be overcome before these results were applicable clinically; it is difficult to obtain completely sterile material within five to six