A LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP OF ONE OF THE FIRST ARTERIAL HOMOGRAFTS

Objective. To report a successful long term homograft of an artery. Ex perimental Design. Surgical arterial homograft with a long term follow up. Setting. General surgery wards of two general hospitals. Patients . 2 patients, one with a recurrent sarcoma of the thigh, the other wit h an osteogenic sarcoma of the humerus. Intervention. Surgical removal of all tissue of the groin including femoral and external iliac arter y and vein, femoral nerve, lymphatics, muscle and ligaments. Arterial replacement with homograft from second patient. Results. Successful fu nction of arterial homograft for 40 years. Conclusions. It is possible that arteries could be added to the List of organs that are harvested for transplantation.