Laser-assisted fibrinogen bonding of vascular tissue

Characterization of the stress-strain profiles of welded tissue would provide an additional means of analyzing this new technology and comparing it with alternative anastomosing techniques. Rabbit longitudinal aortotomies were repaired with either 7-O polypropylene sutures or an 808-nm diode laser (power density, 4.8 watts/cm 2) after topical application of fibrinogen mixed with indocyanine green dye (peak absorption, 805 nm). The rabbits were sacrificed between 0 and 28 days, and the fresh aortic specimens were strained axially in diluted plasma solution until ultimate breakage occurred in order to produce a stress-strain profile graph. No significant differences were noted between sutured and bonded aorta at any time interval. Nonincised aortic tissue (378 lb/in 2) withstood significantly higher stress ( P < 0.05) than both sutured (257 lb/in 2) and bonded (210 lb/in 2) groups at the time of creation. By 7 days after operation, however, no significant differences were noted among any of the three groups. At 28 days after operation, the laser-bonded aorta was significantly stronger than the control aorta ( P < 0.05). The only significant difference in modulus (stretchability) identified the sutured aorta (373 lb/in 2) to be more rigid than the control aorta (231 lb/in 2) ( P < 0.05). Both sutured and laser-bonded anastomoses are weaker than control aorta initially; however, after an early critical period, both treatments achieve the strength of control aorta. By 1 month postoperatively, sutured anastomoses have the disadvantage of being less distensible.