Feasibility of a sutureless anastomotic technique in robot-assisted vascular surgery

Abstract

While other specialties embraced robotic technology, vascular surgery was revolutionized by endovascular techniques. The combination of open surgical techniques with endovascular solutions became standard practice; however, it is considered an unexplored frontier in the evolving field of robotic vascular procedures. One of the criticisms against robotics is the difficulty of vascular anastomosis. Hybrid grafts-although now discontinued-were once used for sutureless vascular anastomosis during open reconstructions. This article evaluates the feasibility of a sutureless anastomotic technique by reincarnating the idea of the hybrid vascular graft: a PTFE graft connected to a self-expanding covered stent.