Continuous suture method for microvascular anastomosis: technical note.

A continuous suture technique for microvascular end-to-side anastomosis was tested in an animal model. Twenty-five Wistar rats underwent carotid-to-carotid end-to-side anastomoses using the conventional interrupted suture technique, and another 25 animals underwent similar operations using a continuous suture method. Anastomosis patency, growth, and vessel clamp time during the operation were recorded. The continuous suture technique was found to have equivalent growth and patency figures and to be much faster than the interrupted suture method.