title: Spyder proximal coronary vein graft patency over time: the SPPOT study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clampless proximal anastomoses are associated with fewer strokes in coronary artery bypass (CAB) graft surgery, but lack of patency of proximal grafts has been an issue. The Spyder (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) is an "exoconnector" device that deploys a nitinol clamping mechanism to attach a vein onto the aortotomy and create the proximal anastomosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a 22-month period we performed gated cardiac computed tomographic angiography on 38 patients who underwent off-pump CAB.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 49 proximal anastomoses created with the Spyder, 44 (90%) remained patent at the time of study, with a mean follow-up period of 16.7 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of the Spyder exoconnector to create a clampless proximal anastomosis during off-pump CAB surgery is a reasonable strategy to improve graft patency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Schussler
authors.forename: Cory H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fontes
authors.forename: Stewart A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Master
authors.forename: Baron L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Hamman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D001011:Aorta / Q000601:surgery*; D001027:Aortography; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000637:transplantation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency