Human umbilical cord. A new source for vascular prosthesis
H. Dardik, I. M. Ibrahim, R. Baier, S. Sprayregen, M. Levy and I. I. Dardik
Reconstructions were performed to the popliteal, tibial, and peroneal
arteries employing a modified umbilical cord vein prosthesis. The latter
was obtained from human cords and was made available as an onshelf graft
for surgery following glutaraldehyde tanning. The early patency and limb
salvage rates are equivalent to those obtained with autogenous saphenous
veins. Additional benefits include significant decreased operative time and
morbidity. It is also probable that this new graft may be resistant to
biodegradation and therefore may obviate many of the causes for late
failure that occur with the use of living biologic tissues or collagen
tubes. Long-term follow-up and study are essential to validate the results
obtained thus far and to assess the potential of this new graft in a
variety of vascular reconstructions.
