Long-term patency rates of small-diameter expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) vascular prostheses are unsatisfactory. Treatment of ePTFE grafts by alcohol before implantation was reported to increase hydrophilic properties, yielding better endothelialization and cellular in-growth, thus improving graft healing. The effect of alcohol pretreatment on ePTFE grafts and postoperative healing characteristics of wet ePTFE grafts were evaluated in this study. Ten sterile ePTFE grafts (2 mm ID, 30 micro thru-pore, 12 mm long) were implanted in the infrarenal aorta of male Sprague-Dawley rats (324-380 g). Five grafts were treated with ethanol 70% and soaked with saline solution before implantation (wet); five nontreated grafts served as control. All rats were sacrificed after digital subtraction angiography and sampling of the graft for histological investigation after 3 weeks. Histomorphometric analysis was performed for endothelial coverage, cellular in-growth, and intimal hyperplasia. All grafts were patent at the end of 3 weeks in both groups. Histological evaluation revealed significantly better endothelial coverage and prominent infiltration by fibroblasts and lymphocytes in the wet group. Endothelial coverage (31.03 +/- 10.61% vs. 13.03 +/- 9.46%, P = 0.03) and cellular infiltration of grafts (50.91 +/- 8.55% vs. 39.29 +/- 10.70%, P = 0.11) were higher in the wet group. Area of intimal hyperplasia per graft length was also higher in the wet group (5.32 +/- 4.75 microm(2)/microm vs. 2.69 +/- 3.41 microm(2)/microm, P = 0.36). Wetting of ePTFE grafts with ethanol 70% pretreatment before implantation might have a beneficial effect on long-term patency of small-diameter vascular grafts due to facilitated graft healing.