Comparative Evaluation of Vascular Clamps on the Arteriosclerotic Aortic Walls

Seven different vascular clamps selected from among those in routine use in vascular surgery (Satinsky clamp, Satinsky rubber clamp, Fogarty clamp, Bull dog clamp, Bulldog rubber clamp, Potts clamp, and Potts rubber clamp) were applied to arteriosclerotic rabbit abdominal aortae to evaluate both grossly and histologically the relative degree of injury thus caused to the vessel wall at dif ferent levels of clamping pressure. Of the vascular clamps examined, the Satin sky clamp and the Fogarty clamp, followed by the Bulldog rubber clamp, proved to cause the least damage to the vessel wall. The Satinsky clamp and Fogarty clamp, in particular, appeared to be the most suitable for arterioscle rotic vessels. The Potts clamp, the Potts rubber clamp, and the Bulldog clamp, which were highly traumatic, should probably not be applied to peripheral or other small-sized blood vessels.