Fig. 4

Images of a POSS-PCU vascular graft anastomosed end-to-end to the left carotid artery (A); Graft (marked *) after 9 months implantation surrounded by a thin layer of reddish fibrous tissue (B); Ultrasound image confirming flow through the graft (C); Kaplan-Meier survival curve of POSS-PCU and ePTFE vascular grafts implanted in the left carotid artery of adult sheep for 9 months (D). Compliance (E) and blood flow (F) rates through the intact left carotid artery, the graft just after implantation at day 0 (d0) and after 9 months before explantation (d270), and the right carotid artery. No significant differences were detected between the mean values for compliance (p ¼ 0.9706, n ¼ 12; n ¼ 7 for grafts at 9 months and right carotid artery. The change in compliance of the individual grafts further demonstrates no significant hardening or loss in the mechanical integrity of the grafts for the duration of the study. Similarly, mean flow rate (F) were unchanged (p ¼ 0.3693, n ¼ 12, n ¼ 7 for grafts at 9 months and right carotid artery across the groups, and while there were slight changes in the flow rates of the individual grafts, there was no significant change in blood flow levels compared to the contralateral the right carotid artery control