Satigrel, a New Antiplatelet Agent, Inhibits Platelet Accumulation in Prosthetic Arterial Grafts

Background: Early and late vascular obstruction are both related to platelet adhesion and aggregation in the grafts. We assessed the effect of satigrel, a new oral antiplatelet agent, on the accumulation of indium-labeled platelets in knitted Dacron grafts inserted proximal to the femoral artery. Methods: Nine patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans receiving grafts were treated with satigrel, and 10 others were enrolled as untreated controls. Scintigraphy was performed in postoperative weeks 2 and 4, and the ratio of the scintillation count of the graft to that of the native artery was calculated to assess platelet accumulation. Results: In both weeks 2 and 4, the ratio was significantly smaller in the satigrel group than in the control group for the whole graft, the proximal anastomosis, and the distal anastomosis. Conclusions: Satigrel significantly inhibited platelet accumulation in vascular grafts and thus may be useful for preventing postoperative graft occlusion