EXPERIMENTAL VAS REPLACEMENT BY EITHER VAS OR A VASCULAR GRAFT

An experimental model for vas replacement by transplantation of either vas or a vascular graft in attempt to restore patency in cases of a s ubstance loss of vas that cannot be overcome by vasovasostomy was deve loped. Three transplant lengths, representing 10, 20 and 30% of the en tire vas length, were used. The results showed an overall patency of 4 3% but for the transplant length representing 10% of the vas patency w as achieved in approximately 75% of the cases regardless of the type o f transplant used. Unpatency was usually due to occlusion of the proxi mal anastomosis, which in turn was considered to be due to a combinati on of unfavourable nutritional, neural and surgical factors. It is con cluded that vas replacement by transplantation using either vas or a v ascular graft is possible to perform experimentally and gives acceptab le patency rates up to a transplant length of 10% of the entire vas le ngth.