Background: Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) remains the most commonly utilized synthetic graft material for infrainguinal arterial reconstruction. However, patency rates of ePTFE bypass grafts are inferior to those observed with autogenous vein grafts. Modification of the luminal surface of ePTFE grafts such as coating with carbon or heparin, may prevent early graft failures and improve overall patency rates. We now report our results with a silyl-heparin adsorbed carbon-coated ePTFE graft.

Methods: Silyl-heparin was adsorbed onto carbon-coated ePTFE vascular grafts (Bard Peripheral Vascular, Tempe, Arizona), which were then evaluated for patency and platelet deposition acutely (2 hours after implantation) and 7 days after graft implantation in mongrel dogs. Dogs underwent bilateral aortoiliac grafting where one heparin adsorbed carbon-coated graft and one carbon-coated graft (control) were placed on either (alternating) side. Platelet deposition was determined by injection of autologous (111)Indium radiolabeled platelets followed by a 2-hour circulation period prior to explantation of grafts. Heparin activity of the silyl-heparin grafts (at preimplantation and explantation) was determined using an antithrombin-III based thrombin binding assay.

Results: Graft patency was 100% for both heparin coated (5 of 5) grafts and control (5 of 5) grafts in the acute group of dogs. In the 7-day group, patency was 87.5% for heparin coated (7 of 8) grafts and 50% for control (4 of 8) grafts (P = 0.28, Fisher's exact test). Radiolabeled platelet studies revealed a significantly lower deposition of platelets on heparin coated grafts compared with control grafts in the acute group (17.3 +/- 13.5 versus 35.2 +/- 17.9 counts per minute, per cm(2) per million platelets, mean +/- SEM; n = 5, P <0.05, paired Student t test). In the 7-day group of dogs with bilaterally patent grafts (4 of 8), a trend toward a lower deposition of platelets on heparin coated grafts compared with control grafts was observed (1.55 +/- 0.409 versus 2.14 +/- 1.13 counts per minute, per cm(2) per million platelets, mean +/- SEM; n = 4, P = 0.52, paired Student t test). Eight percent of the preimplantation heparin activity remained on the explanted silyl-heparin grafts after 2 hours and only 2% after 7 days.

Conclusions: Silyl-heparin adsorption onto carbon-coated ePTFE vascular grafts resulted in improved acute thromboresistance in a canine bilateral aortoiliac model. Ongoing laboratory efforts are aimed at improving the silyl-heparin retention on vascular grafts. This graft may prove to be useful in the clinical setting.