Vein patch angioplasty with non-penetrating titanium clips. Comparison to standard suture technique

Our purpose was to compare the Vascular Closure Staples (VCS) clips to a standard suture technique for vein patch angioplasty in a porcine model. Six female pigs underwent vein patch angioplasty of the common iliac arteries with either VCS clips or continuous suturing. The reconstructed vessels were evaluated macroscopically, angio-graphically and histologically after two months by re- operation. There was a non significant trend towards shorter reconstruction (6.5 ± 1.8 min. for clips vs. 8.5 ± 1.7 min. for sutures, p = 0.15) and clamp times when clips were used (8.4 ± 1.5 min. vs. 10.1 ± 1.3 min., p = 0.15). At re-operation all vessels were found patent without significant histological differences regarding the intimal reaction. VCS clips are a reliable alternative to sutures for vein patch angioplasty.