Experimental and clinical research on treatment of vascular malformations with retained copper needles.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate a simple, safe, and effective surgical approach to treat vascular malformations (VM). METHODS: Tissues of vein, heart, liver, and kidney were obtained and pathologically observed from 30 rabbits whose central veins of the ears were retained with copper needles, and the concentration of Cu in serum was measured. In the clinical research, 3 methods were employed to treat 89 patients with VM: (1) retaining copper needles alone; (2) ligaturing lesions and retaining copper needles; (3) retaining copper needles charged with direct current (DC). RESULTS: After the treatment of retaining copper needles, thrombus, fibrosis, and necrosis of the malformed vein walls gradually increased. The effective rate was 95.5%. CONCLUSION: Treatment with copper needles retained in malformed blood vessels leads to denaturalization, fibrosis, and disappearance of the blood vessel structure, and thus it is an effective way to treat VM.