The Effect of Heparin on the Patency Rate of Autogenous Vein Grafts Inserted into the Arterial System of Rats

Abstract

In earlier experiments we found that in rats jump grafts made from autogenous veins with diameters of about 1 mm had very poor patency rates.¹ It was our opinion that a major factor leading to the blockage of the grafts is the net-like construction of the venous internal elastic lamina which provides scanty cover for the numerous collagen fibers lying in the subendothelial layer once the endothelium is lost. Exposure of the strongly thrombogenic collagen to the blood stream is followed by deposition of fibrin and platelets on its surface, and rapidly leads to occlusion of the vessels.