An Experimental Study to Replace the Thoracic Descending Aorta for Pigs with a Self-Made Sutureless Blood Vessel

Figure 1

The connection between the self-designed metal connector and Gore-Tex graft. Panel (a) shows the shape of the outer tube (A) and of the inner tube (B); the smooth surfaces of the inner tube and the outer tube are marked with arrow 2 and arrow 1, respectively, and the convex ridge is marked with arrow 3. Panel (b) shows the Gore-Tex graft inserted into the outer tube and panel (c) shows the inner tube screwed into the outer tube, and the inserted Gore-Tex has been trapped into the space between the two smooth surfaces; panel (d) shows that the trapped Gore-Tex was not dislocated when the weight increased to 5 Kg.