End-to-side anastomosis of small vessels using an Nd:YAG laser with a hemispherical contact probe. Technical note.

A new technique is described which enables the surgeon to perform an end-to-side anastomosis between arteries with little (less than 2 minutes) or no occlusion of the recipient artery. The technique was developed in rabbits, but has recently been successfully used in a patient in whom an anastomosis between the superficial temporal artery and a proximal branch of the middle cerebral artery was created.