Interpositional Vein Graft Using Rat Femoral Vessels

Surgical procedures requiring a vascular gap to be bridged are common in clinical practice, such as in trauma, burns, and other complex reconstructive surgery cases. The autologous vein will often provide the appropriate graft. Small caliber vein grafts have better patency rates and biocompatibility than any synthetic materials. This chapter presents a comprehensive guide for performing an interpositional vein graft on the rat femoral artery. The main steps include dissection of the rat femoral and epigastric vessels, creating a defect in the femoral artery, bridging it with the appropriate length of vein, and assessing patency. This technical exercise teaches surgeons not only how to perform the grafting procedure, but also to note the many intricate details necessary for producing a patent graft.