An Appraisal of Woven Synthetic Prostheses in the Vascular System

Since the demonstration that a synthetic fabric could be used successfully for replacement of the aorta of dogs¹ there has been considerable interest in the clinical use of such materials. Unfortunately, because of the ready availability of these fabrics in textile stores, there has been much less caution exercised in the use of these materials than in the use of homografts. Many surgeons, often without adequate technical background or knowledge of the physical and chemical characteristics of the synthetic fabric, have proceeded to resect major arteries in patients and to implant synthetic prostheses. In a recent publication² we presented an analysis of the various synthetic materials currently available in fabric form. Whereas nylon. Vinyon-N, Dacron, and Orion have all functioned well in the mammalian arterial system insofar as testing has been conducted, there have been certain reasons for favoring one material over another. This study also analyzed the