Figure 2.

Illustration of the two-stitch sleeve technique. A: Guiding sutures are begun with piercing the donor common carotid artery from outside, and picked up at the free edge of the recipient common carotid artery from inside. The first guiding suture is placed 0.2~0.3 mm (the same length as the diameter of the common carotid artery) beyond the vessel stump. B: The same thread is then pierced out from the inside of the receiving artery in close proximity of the primary piercing point. C: The guiding sutures are gently stretched to introduce the feeding artery into the receiving artery and knotted with itself for fixation. The arrow shows the direction of the blood flow. 1, the feeding artery (recipient common carotid artery); 2, the receiving artery (donor common carotid artery).