Future of Engineering
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Scientists Create Artificial Veins/Arteries for Coronary Bypass Surgery
London scientists have made a remarkable achievement in the field of bypass surgery. Doctors no longer have to rely on natural veins from the patient's body. They can opt for artificial veins and arteries that can act as grafts. The artificial graft tissue is made by combining man-made materials with human cells to make it elastic and durable and so it can attach to host tissue.
Compliant poly(carbonate-urea)urethane serves as an elastic scaffold that gives the artificial graft its shape. (Credit: Courtesy S. Tawqeer Rashid)"
Coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and colloquially heart bypass or bypass surgery is a surgical procedure performed to relieve angina and reduce the risk of death from coronary artery disease. Arteries or veins from elsewhere in the patient's body are grafted to the coronary arteries to bypass atherosclerotic narrowings and improve the blood supply to the coronary circulation supplying the myocardium (heart muscle). In the United States, 500,000 procedures are performed each year.
Availability of a suitable vein has been a problem since grafting was introduced. The right internal thoracic artery (RITA), the great saphenous vein from the leg and the radial artery from the forearm are frequently used as grafts. But grafts can become diseased and may occlude in the months to years after bypass surgery is performed. Sometimes patients also complained of pain in the area where the vein or artery was removed.
These limitations in the current procedures have given rise to the need for artificial grafts.
In artificial grafting, human vascular smooth muscle cells and epithelial cells from umbilical cords are incorporated with an elastic scaffold of compliant poly(carbonate-urea)urethane. The artificial grafts are then tested for durability in the lab by simulating blood flow in them. The testing has yielded positive results. The movement of fluid through the graft stimulates the smooth muscle and epithelial cells to release proteins that strengthen their ability to attachment to the elastic scaffold and other tissues.
Usage of artificial veins or arteries would reduce recovery time, reduce pain, and save lives by making this type of surgery more available to people who need it.
Related Links:
Tissue engineering of a hybrid bypass graft for coronary and lower limb bypass surgery. The FASEB Journal.
Physorg
Compliant poly(carbonate-urea)urethane serves as an elastic scaffold that gives the artificial graft its shape. (Credit: Courtesy S. Tawqeer Rashid)"
Coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and colloquially heart bypass or bypass surgery is a surgical procedure performed to relieve angina and reduce the risk of death from coronary artery disease. Arteries or veins from elsewhere in the patient's body are grafted to the coronary arteries to bypass atherosclerotic narrowings and improve the blood supply to the coronary circulation supplying the myocardium (heart muscle). In the United States, 500,000 procedures are performed each year.
Availability of a suitable vein has been a problem since grafting was introduced. The right internal thoracic artery (RITA), the great saphenous vein from the leg and the radial artery from the forearm are frequently used as grafts. But grafts can become diseased and may occlude in the months to years after bypass surgery is performed. Sometimes patients also complained of pain in the area where the vein or artery was removed.
These limitations in the current procedures have given rise to the need for artificial grafts.
In artificial grafting, human vascular smooth muscle cells and epithelial cells from umbilical cords are incorporated with an elastic scaffold of compliant poly(carbonate-urea)urethane. The artificial grafts are then tested for durability in the lab by simulating blood flow in them. The testing has yielded positive results. The movement of fluid through the graft stimulates the smooth muscle and epithelial cells to release proteins that strengthen their ability to attachment to the elastic scaffold and other tissues.
Usage of artificial veins or arteries would reduce recovery time, reduce pain, and save lives by making this type of surgery more available to people who need it.
Related Links:
Tissue engineering of a hybrid bypass graft for coronary and lower limb bypass surgery. The FASEB Journal.
Physorg
PermaLink - Scientists Create Artificial Veins/Arteries for Coronary Bypass Surgery posted by Vanessa : 12:38 AM
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Coronary artery bypass graft surgery has made it easier for patients as well as doctors in opting for operations without wasting anytime. As mentioned, the process being simple and safe, with reduce amount of recovery time will definitely change the scenario of Cardiology. After reading an article in this link Click here and the blog post, people, like me will no longer be afraid off heart diseases…
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