Seeding human arterial prostheses with mechanically derived endothelium. The detrimental effect of smoking.

Endothelial healing of Dacron arterial prostheses can be hastened in dogs by seeding autogenous venous endothelium onto the prostheses in a single-staged operation. To determine whether this technique enhances the patency of human grafts, we studied the results of 186 operations on 161 patients performed between February 23, 1978, and December 1, 1982. Alternately allocating patients to treatment with seeded and unseeded Dacron knitted prostheses, we performed axillary-femoral and axillary-femoral-femoral bypasses in 11 patients (six seeded and five unseeded) and femoral-femoral bypasses in 28 (13 seeded and 15 unseeded).

A model for developing clinical teaching skills of family practice teachers.

The development and implementation of a weekend workshop format for faculty development in family medicine, which has met with some success in the state of Texas, is described. The topic selected for the workshop was one-on-one clinical teaching skills because of its applicability to all levels of involvement of family practice faculty. The weekend format was selected because of its cost efficiency and mobility, which allowed the center to take training to the physicians, and because of its previously demonstrated effectiveness as a format for faculty development in family medicine.

The effects of crimping on the healing of prosthetic arterial grafts.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the crimping of arterial prostheses affected their healing. In ten dogs, 6 mm knitted Dacron grafts were implanted in the infrarenal aortas; 6 grafts were crimped, 4 uncrimped. Each was seeded with venous endothelium to produce a cellular lining.

Seeding arterial prostheses with vascular endothelium. The nature of the lining.

Arterial prostheses seeded with autogenous vascular endothelium demonstrate a well-organized, cellular, inner lining. To determine the nature of the lining cells, six animals underwent replacement of the infrarenal aorta with Dacron prostheses. During the preparation of three such grafts, endothelium was scraped from the saphenous vein with a steel wool pledget, suspended in chilled Sack's solution, and mixed with blood used to preclot the graft.

Seeding endothelium onto canine arterial prostheses. The effects of graft design.

To identify prosthetic characteristics that support the proliferation of an endothelial lining, 14 different graft designs were studied in dogs. The grafts were prepared by the use of a technique of endothelial seeding that we described previously. They were studied two and four weeks after their implantation.

Treatment of constipation in geriatric and chronically ill patients: a comparison.

The difficulties of adequately managing constipation, particulary in patients with impaired or limited mobility as a result of surgery, cardiovascular or cerebral disease, or advanced age, led us to evaluate the use of stool softeners in a homogeneous group of institutionalized patients. Comparison was made between dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DSS) (Colace), q.d.

The subclavian steal syndrome: a review.

Proximal occlusions of the subclavian and innominate arteries may create a cerebrovascular insufficiency syndrome. The syndrome is generally characterized by neurologic symptoms of the vertebral-basilar arterial distribution. Blood is siphoned along the vertebral artery because of the low pressures distal to the occlusion.

Pleural aspergillosis: a case report.

The first case of pleural aspergillosis on either American continent since 1958 is reported. The recent literature is reviewed. The pleura is infected by aspergillus through bronchopleural or pleurocutaneous communication.