History of vein grafting

Microsurgical vein grafting for vessel reconstruction has its roots in the vascular surgery of 100 years ago. It was not until the 1950s that vein grafts became more common for treating traumatic, atherosclerotic, and aneurysmal lesions. The success and popularization of extremity replantation quickly led to the utilization of vein grafts in select cases. Current practices use vein grafts whenever needed to bridge gaps in vessel continuity during reconstructive microsurgery. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. MICROSURGERY 18:234–236, 1998