title: [Clinical experience with aortic connector system].
abstract: From April to December 2002, 40 patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using the St. Jude Medical (Minneapolis) Symmetry bypass system (aortic connector system: ACS). 59 proximal anastomoses (51 saphenous vein grafts, 8 radial artery grafts) were performed with the ACS. One saphenous vein graft occluded during operation. Postoperative evaluation of the anastomotic patency was carried out by angiography in 45 grafts. Five of the saphenous vein grafts were occluded (5/38). One patient who was shock state before operation presented with postoperative unconsciousness. Another patient died at 8th postoperative day caused by ventricular fibrillation. We conclude that the ACS produces a simple, quick way of performing the proximal anastomosis without the need for clamping the aorta, allows reducing risk of embolization by aortic manipulation. However, it is necessary to discuss sufficiently using the ACS, because the graft patency with the ACS is lower than with standard suturing technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Cardiothoracic Surgery, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moriyama
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tabata
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagamine
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takemura
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001011:Aorta / Q000601:surgery*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000637:transplantation; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000637:transplantation; D014654:Vascular Patency