Replacement of Superior Vena Cava with the Spiral Composite Vein Graft: A Versatile Technique

A technique to construct a spiral vein graft is described.A graft with predictable diameter and length can be made, regardless of the degree of discrepancy in the size of vessels at the donor and recipient sites.The technique is simple and versatile, and when used to replace the superior vena cava in dogs, long-term patency can be obtained without anticoagulation or other adjunctive measures.