Spyder aortic connector system in off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery.
OBJECTIVE
The Spyder aortic connector (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN) is a new, promising connector device and its safety and efficacy have been evaluated in this study.


METHODS
Twenty-two patients were randomized to proximal vein graft anastomosis with the Spyder aortic connector (Medtronic) or hand-sewn technique.


RESULTS
Twenty patients underwent multi-detector computed tomographic scans of the chest 6 months after surgery to evaluate vein graft patency. We have failed to successfully deploy three Spyder connector devices. Thus in this study we have evaluated the graft patency of 19 hand-sewn grafts and of 19 vein grafts anastomosed with the Spyder anastomotic device. Three vein grafts whose proximal anastomosis was accomplished with the Spyder anastomotic connector were occluded and all hand-sewn vein grafts were patent (16% vs 0%; p = 0.23). Stenosis of the proximal anastomosis was observed in seven vein grafts (37%), accomplished with the Spyder anastomotic connector, and in one (5%) hand-sewn vein graft (p = 0.042).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study suggest that the use of the Spyder aortic connector device is associated with suboptimal 6-month graft patency.
Biancari
Fausto
F
Division of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland. faustobiancari@yahoo.it
Lahtinen
Jarmo
J
Ojala
Risto
R
Ahvenjärvi
Lauri
L
Jartti
Airi
A
Mosorin
Martti
M
Heikkinen
Jouni
J
Taskinen
Panu
P
Lepojärvi
Martti
M
D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000295:instrumentation; D001011:Aorta / Q000601:surgery*; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000637:transplantation