Early Morphology of Accelerated Vein Graft Atheroma in Experimental Vein Grafts

= 3 per time point) were sacrificed at 60 min, 1 day, 3 days, 5 days, 7 days, 14 days, and 28 days postoperatively for scanning and transmission electron microscopy of the vein grafts. No concurrent controls were employed. The results of this study suggest that in the presence of hypercholesterolemia, the pathophysiological processes involved in the vein graft are similar to those reported for noncholesterol-fed animals. There is a sustained subendothelial response with the prolonged presence of macrophages and cellular debris and the accumulation of foam cells.