Cor Vasa 2002, 43(7-8):344-346

Video-assisted proximal anastomosis with the Symmetry™ aortic connector in the MIDCAB procedure

Michal Semrád^*, Vladimír Vondráček, Martin Stříteský, Petr Bodlák, Tomáš Urban, Jaroslav Lindner, Jan Roháč, Ivan Vaněk

II. chirurgická klinika kardiovaskulární chirurgie, Všeobecná fakultní nemocnice a 1. lékařská fakulta Univerzity Karlovy, Praha, Česká republika

We present a port-access way to create a sutureless proximal anastomosis on the ascending aorta using the Symmetry™ Aortic Connector System (St. Jude Medical, Inc., St. Paul, MN, USA). This technique was successfully used in a patient undergoing urgent minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) whose left internal mammary artery could not be harvested due to subtotal occlusion of the left subclavian artery. Port-access vein graft deployment expands the potential of "less invasive" coronary surgery. This case has demonstrated the potential benefits of sutureless anastomosis, the suitability of minimal access approach.

Keywords: Port-access; Symmetry aortic connector; MIDCAB

Published: July 1, 2002  Show citation