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Achieving the ideal properties for vascular bypass grafts using a tissue engineered approach: a review

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Abstract

The multiple demands placed on small calibre cardiovascular bypass grafts have meant that a synthetic prosthesis with good long-term patency has not been developed. A tissue-engineered graft could fulfil the ideal characteristics present in an artery. However, the great disadvantage of such a conduit is the time necessary for maturation leading to unacceptable delays once the decision to intervene surgically has been made. This maturation process is essential to produce a graft which can withstand haemodynamic stress. Once implanted, the tissue-engineered graft can contract in response to immediate haemodynamic conditions and remodel in the long term. We review the latest tissue engineering approaches used to give the favourable properties of mechanical strength, arterial compliance, low thrombogenicity, long-term resistance towards biodegradation as well as technological advances which shorten the time required for production of an implantable graft.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering Centre (BTEC), Academic Division of Surgical and Interventional Sciences, University College London, Rowland Hill Street, London, NW3 2PF, UK

    Sandip Sarkar & Alexander M. Seifalian

  2. Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Thomas Schmitz-Rixen

  3. Department of Vascular Surgery, Royal Free Hospital Hampstead NHS Trust, London, UK

    George Hamilton

  4. Advanced Nanomaterials Laboratory (ANL), BTEC, University College London, London, UK

    Alexander M. Seifalian

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  1. Sandip Sarkar
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Correspondence to Alexander M. Seifalian.

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Sarkar, S., Schmitz-Rixen, T., Hamilton, G. et al. Achieving the ideal properties for vascular bypass grafts using a tissue engineered approach: a review. Med Bio Eng Comput 45, 327–336 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-007-0176-z

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