ADVENTITIAL STRIPPING DOES NOT STRIP THE ADVENTITIA

This study investigates the process of stripping the adventitia off a blood vessel. which is a normal procedure prior to performing a microv ascular anastomosis. In five rats, the common carotid and the superfic ial femoral arteries of one side were stripped sharply, whereas the ar teries of the other side were left unstripped to serve as controls. In a further set of five rats, the arteries were stripped bluntly. Immed iately following stripping, experimental and control arterial segments were removed. Histology of cross sections of the segments was studied . In no case was there complete removal of the adventitia. When stripp ed and control arterial sections were compared, no significant differe nce between cross-sectional adventitial areas could be demonstrated. M orphologic study revealed that stripping mainly removes large collagen fibers from the adventitia. The small collagen fibrils that are still in place fan our in such a way that although considerable tissue is r emoved, the volume that the adventitia occupies remains the same. Stri pping the adventitia does not cause complete removal of the adventitia , and in this study no significant reduction in the adventitial volume could be found. Stripping does, however, allow a better view of the c ut edge of the vessel wail under an operating microscope. Since blunt stripping could cause damage to other vessel wall layers, sharp stripp ing is to be preferred.