Vascular clips as a landmark for sites of anastomosis.
Vascular clips can be used in bypasses at risk of future occlusion, to assist with catheter placement for radiological intervention. We explain how vascular clips can be placed as a landmark for the sites of anastomosis. After completion of the vascular anastomosis, two or three bullets of medium-sized vascular clips are clipped to the tips of the vascular suture. The sites of the vascular anastomosis are checked by plain X-rays. Finding the inlet of the anastomosis in an occluded graft can be difficult, and the marker proved helpful for introducing the guide-wire through the inlet of the site of anastomosis. The vascular clips around the popliteal anastomosis enabled us to clearly differentiate above-knee from below-knee femoropopliteal bypasses using plain X-ray postoperatively. This is a simple yet effective method of identifying the site of vascular anastomosis. Thus, we recommend using vascular clips as a landmark to aid in postoperative intervention by allowing clear identification of the level of anastomosis.
Kim
Dong-Ik
DI
Division of Vascular Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Huh
Se-Ho
SH
Lee
Byung-Boong
BB
D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee / Q000098:blood supply; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000601:surgery; D012016:Reference Values; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*