VASCULAR FREEZING - A NEW METHOD FOR IMMEDIATE AND PERMANENT VASOSPASM RELIEF - AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY IN THE RAT

Although much work has been done on the etiology and prevention of vas ospasm, a spasmolytic agent capable of firmly protecting against or re versing vasospasm has not yet been found. In this paper, we describe a new physical method of treating vasospasm. It consists of directly fr eezing the arterial walls. Experiments were performed on the epigastri c artery of 40 female Sprague-Dawley rats. A vasospasm was created by mechanical vessel manipulation. The vasospasm was treated by freezing the vessel walls with a dermatologic hand-held liquid nitrogen spray. Vascular spasm and patency controls were made immediately after thawin g and 30 minutes and 3, 10, and 120 days after freezing. Epigastric is land flaps were harvested based on the frozen artery at 3, 10, and 120 days after the freezing procedure. Histologic studies also were effec tuated 3, 10, and 120 days after the freezing procedure. Relief from v asospasm was instantaneous and permanent. After freezing, almost all t he cells in the media and endothelium died and the adrenergic fibers d egenerated. This was followed by a phagocytic debridement, complete re generation of the endothelium, and a limited regeneration of the muscl e fibers in the media. The adrenergic innervation was recovered, and n o alterations in the adrenergic fibers distal to the lesion were noted at any time. None of the arteries examined underwent thrombosis, and all the flaps harvested survived very well, indicating that the vascul ar bed distal to the site of the freezing was normal. This vascular fr eezing technique may well have clinical applications for microsurgical transfers and for the prophylactic treatment of vasospastic disease. However, its indications still require clarification.