Mid-Term Follow Up of Patients Using The St. Jude Medical Aortic Connector System for Proximal Vein Graft in CABG

The aortic connector system may reduce stroke during proximal venous anastomosis. However, the overall anastomotic patency rate has been generally reported to be low. From October 2002 to March 2004, 68 patients who received proximal anastomosis using the St. Jude Aortic Connector System were included in the study. There were 47 men and 21 women and their mean age was 65.68+/-6.68 yr old (52 to 85 yr). Grafts were evaluated by coronary angiography or multi-slice 16 channel 3-D CT at 6 days and at 6 months postoperatively. In the immediate postoperative period, no stenosis was observed by either angiography (n=22) or 3D CT (n=46). At 6-month postoperatively, we performed either angiography (n=7) or 3-D CT (n=52). Of these patients, 5 patients showed graft stenosis in the midportion, and 3 in the ostium. There were no stroke. Simple, and effective proximal anastomosis with good protection from cerebrovascular accident was achieved especially when calcification or atheromatous plaque was observed at the ascending aorta in the operation room. However, our mid term patency results raise concerns related to venous graft stenosis in the midportion. Therefore, longer follow up is recommended.

Redo Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting through Left Thoractomy Using the Aortic Connector for Proximal Graft Anastomosis on the Descending Aorta / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

A 76-year-old man who had undergone primary coronary operation through a median sternotomy 9 years previously presented with recurrent angina. Preoperative angiography revealed 90% stenosis of the circumflex coronary artery and left subclavian artery. Two saphenous vein grafts (SVG) placed in the previous operation were patent. Redo off-pump CABG was performed through a left thoracotomy approach. The proximal end of the new SVG was connected to the descending thoracic aorta using the St. Jude Medical aortic connector system. The distal anastomosis to the obtuse marginal branch was performed on a beating heart. The postoperative course was uneventful. This case suggested that, in cases requiring the proximal graft anastomosis on the descending aorta, the application of the aortic connector system can be a useful strategy, helping to facilitate the proximal anastomosis and avoid complications associated with the aortic partial-clamping on the descending aorta.

Application of Symmetry aortic connector in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting / 中国微创外科杂志

ObjectiveTo summarize the short-term effects o f Symmetry aortic co nnector in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) operation. MethodsTwo hundreds and four patients suffering from coronary artery d isease underwent OPCAB from September 2002 to June 2003. Among the 204 patients, saphenous vein grafts were used in 167 patients and Symmetry aortic connectors were adopted in 100 of them.ResultsOf 142 connectors used, 2 connectors fai led and manual r epairs were required in 3 cases because of anastomotic leakage, the success rate being 96 5% (137 of 142). The number of proximal anastomosis was (1 4?0 5) per case and the number of distal anastomosis (3 5?0 8) per case. The proximal a na stomotic blood flow was (46 5?22 3) ml/min. The fitting time for connectors w as (4 0?1 1) min, and anastomoses were all accomplished within 10 seconds. The op eration time was (3 2?0 4) hours. The operative death rate was 1% (1 of 100). R e-operation of thoracotomy was required in 1 case because of bleeding but not an astomotic bleeding. No myocardial infarction or stroke occurred in the peri-oper ative period. The postoperative drainage amount was (547?247) ml. The blood tra nsfusion rate was 36 0% (36 of 100). The postoperative hospital stay was (7 8 ?1 6) days.ConclusionsSymmetry aortic connector can be saf ely and effectively used in coronary artery bypass grafting operations, with satisfactory short-term clinical effects. The procedure may shorten operation time, avoid aortic clampi ng, and lower the incidence of stroke.