Cardiovascular Physiology Web Resource Richard E. Klabunde, Ph.D. Collateral Blood Flow Besides the normal anatomical vascular network, collateral vessels can play a significant role in supplying oxygen to an organ, particularly when oxygen delivery is limited by disease in the normal vasculature.
Collateral vessels can be pre-existing vessels that normally have little or no blood flow.
In the heart, collateral vessels can help to supply blood flow to ischemic regions due to stenosis or occlusion of epicardial arteries. Collateral blood flow may be an important mechanism in limiting infarct size. Current research is directed towards stimulating the formation of collateral blood vessels by treating the heart with drugs that stimulate angiogenesis.