PARTIAL OCCLUSION OF THE AORTA WITH SILK SUTURES, AND COMPLETE OCCLUSION WITH FASCIAL PLUGS. THE EFFECT OF LIGATURES ON THE ARTERIAL WALL

1. Partial occlusion of the aorta of dogs may be produced by Halsted mattress sutures of silk. This occlusion persists. 2. A method of completely occluding the aorta of dogs by means of anchoring fascial plugs in the lumen is described. 3. The vessel wall below and at the site of an occluding fascial plug undergoes marked atrophy. 4. Ligatures used for ligating or plicating large arteries cause death of the arterial wall. The same is true for encircling metallic bands. 5. Catgut is dangerous to use for the ligation of large arteries, since it may give way before the necrosed vessel wall becomes completely substituted by fibrous tissue.