Microvascular anastomoses in diabetes: an experimental study.

The process of intimal repair across a microvascular anastomosis has been studied in an animal model of diabetes using scanning electron microscopy. The mean area of re-endothelialisation at 10 days, 200 microns on either side of an experimental microarterial anastomosis, was 65% in nondiabetic controls compared to 16.5% in an untreated diabetic group and 10% in an insulin treated diabetic group. The degree of intimal repair was significantly lower in the diabetic groups compared to controls (p less than 0.01, Wilcoxon Rank Test). Defective re-endothelialisation may contribute to anastomotic failure in clinical practice.