ObjectiveTo compare the effect of aspirin+ticagrelor and aspirin+clopidogrel on graft patency one year after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).MethodsA total of 67 patients who received CABG in our department from January 2014 to September 2017 were included in this study (52 males and 15 females). They were randomly divided into a group A (aspirin+clopidogrel) and a group B (aspirin+ticagrelor). There were 34 participants in the group A (28 males and 6 females) and 33 patients in the group B (24 males and 9 females). All patients were invited for clinical follow-up and 64-slice multislice computed tomography angiography (MSCTA) analysis in 1 year postoperatively. Cardiovascular events, bleeding events and other adverse events were followed up.ResultsFour patients were lost to follow-up. Two patients died. A total of 61 patients (48 males and 13 females) completed coronary CTA, and 31 in the group A (25 males and 6 females) and 30 in the group B (23 males and 7 females). The total number of bridged vessels was 156 (59 internal thoracic artery bridges and 97 great saphenous vein bridges), including 79 in the group A (31 internal thoracic artery bridges and 48 great saphenous vein bridges) and 77 in the group B (28 internal thoracic artery bridges and 49 great saphenous vein bridges). Graft patency rate 1 year post CABG was 82.3% (65/79) in the group A and 92.2% (71/77) in the group B (P>0.05). Artery graft patency rate 1 year post CABG was 96.8% (30/31) in the group A and 96.4% (27/28) in the group B (P>0.05). Saphenous vein graft patency rate 1 year post CABG was 72.9% (35/48) in the group A and 89.8% (44/49) in the group B (P<0.05). Multivariable analysis with binary logistic regression showed ticagrelor use reduced graft occlusion (OR=0.282, 95%CI 0.093 to 0.862, P<0.05). There was no significant difference in adverse events between the two groups.ConclusionCompared with clopidogrel plus aspirin, ticagrelor added to aspirin after CABG may enhance the saphenous graft patency without the excess risk of bleeding 1 year post CABG.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the short-term therapeutic effect of extended adventitial inversion with graft eversion anastomosis technique in the root treatment of acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD).MethodsFrom November 2019 to July 2020, 28 patients with ATAAD were treated by extended adventitial inversion with graft eversion anastomosis technique in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Dalian Municipal Central Hospital, including 19 males and 9 females, aged 60.11±11.11 years. The intima of the ascending aorta was trimed to 5 mm above the sinotubular junction. The adventitia of the ascending aorta was longitudinally cut to the reserved intima margin along the junction of the three aortic valves. The extended adventitial inversion was sutured continuously, no coronary sinus was sutured over the aortic annulus, and the left and right coronary sinus was sutured above the coronary ostium. The anastomotic graft was everted and inserted into the aortic lumen, and the everted graft was continuously sutured at the level of sinotubular junction which was 5 mm away from the edge of graft.ResultsThere was no intraoperative death, intractable root hemorrhage, residual root false lumen, root dilatation, anastomotic hematoma or other complications. There was no recurrence of the pain in the back of all patients, and the results of the CT angiography were not significantly changed. In 22 patients with no regurgitation, only 1 (4.55%) patient had a mild regurgitation. In 6 patients with mild aortic regurgitation, the disappearance rate of regurgitation was 50.0% (3/6).ConclusionThe treatment of extended adventitial inversion with graft eversion anastomosis technique in the root treatment of aortic dissection eliminates the residual dissection at the root. The anastomotic hemorrhage is prevented, the root structure of aortic dissection is reconstructed and strengthened, the root function is restored, and the possible expansion of the root is prevented. The short-term results are satisfactory.
ObjectiveTo fabricate a large-diameter vascular graft with a pore size gradient structure mimicking that of natural blood vessels, using poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) as base materials through electrospinning and ultrasonic pore-forming techniques, and to evaluate its application potential. MethodsA three-layered tubular graft was fabricated from a PCL/PLLA blend (mass ratio 6 : 4) via electrospinning, followed by an ultrasonic pore-forming process to create a gradient porosity. The resulting graft (diameter: 2 cm, length: 4 cm) was implanted into the descending thoracic aorta of an experimental pig using an end-to-end anastomosis. Graft patency and anastomotic sites were monitored by computed tomography angiography (CTA) at 1 and 6 weeks post-surgery. After 2 months, the graft was explanted for systematic evaluation of vascular regeneration and repair through gross examination, histopathology (H&E and elastic fiber staining), immunohistochemistry [for ETS-related gene (ERG), Actin, and Vimentin], and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). ResultsPostoperative CTA confirmed excellent graft patency at both 1 and 6 weeks, with no evidence of thrombosis or anastomotic stenosis. Gross examination of the 2-month explant revealed a smooth luminal surface covered by neotissue. Histopathological analysis demonstrated that the graft successfully induced the formation of a three-layered structure resembling a native vessel wall, comprising endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts. Immunohistochemistry further verified coverage of the luminal surface by endothelial cells (ERG-positive), along with the presence of neosmooth muscle (Actin-positive) and fibroblasts (Vimentin-positive). Endothelial cells were observed adhering to the inner surface of the artificial vessel under SEM. ConclusionThe biomimetic, three-layered PLLA/PCL large-diameter vascular graft, constructed via electrospinning and ultrasonic pore-forming, exhibits excellent short-term patency and biocompatibility in a large animal model. More importantly, it demonstrates a significant potential to promote host cell infiltration and achieve in situ regeneration of a three-layered vascular wall structure, providing a promising experimental basis for the development of next-generation functional vascular substitutes.