[Establishment of a rabbit model of small diameter vascular graft replacement].

OBJECTIVE: To establish an rabbit model that mimics the hemodynamics of the bypass graft after coronary artery bypass surgery.

METHODS: Sixteen New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into two groups for abdominal aortic artery replacement using a 3-cm-long ePTFE graft with an inner diameter 4 mm through an incision at 1/3 from the middle to the lower part of the abdomen (group A) or in the lower abdomen (group B). The general conditions of the rabbits, operative time, number of collateral vessels that needed to be ligated, rate of massive intraoperative bleeding, fluctuation of vascular anastomosis after surgery, patency rate of the graft on day 7 after the operation were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS: The two groups of rabbits had similar body weight, diameter of the abdominal aortic artery, intraoperative bleeding rate and occlusion rate of the vascular graft at 7 days after the procedure. The operative time was longer in group A, but the difference was not statistically significant. In group A, the number of the vascular branches that needed to be ligated was smaller and the rate normal femoral artery pulsation was higher than those in group B.

CONCLUSION: It is feasible to establish models of small diameter vascular graft replacement in rabbits, and the patency rate of the graft can be monitored by observation of the general condition and ultrasound examination of the rabbits.