Twelve horses were randomly divided into two groups of six animals each (groups I and II) in order to study the compatibility and trombogenicity of two biological tissues conserved in glycerin at 98% which were used to restore the external jugular. The tissues consisted of arterial homograft - ACCHo (group I) and venous heterograft - VJEHe (group II). Two different techniques for jugular anastomosis were performed - bypass in group I and replacement of a segment of the left jugular by means of end to end vascular anastomosis in group II. Clinical, hematological, Doppler ultrasonography, and histological examinations of the grafted vascular segments were conducted to evaluate local trombogenicity and tissue compatibility. All animals had the segments collected after 45 days, being the right jugular used as standard for the histopathological exams. Both tissues were compatible since no serious inflammatory process indicative of rejection took place. The bypass technique was not efficient for jugular restoration because of the occurrence of obliterant trombosys of the ACCHo. The full replacement of a jugular segment by the VJEHe can be feasible in reestablishing blood flow through the jugular of horses as long as the diameters of the grafted tissue and the original blood vessel are kept the same.
horse; biological tissues; glycerin; vascular surgery; graft
