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Automated Coring and Apical Connector Insertion Device for Aortic Valve Bypass Surgery

C Adams, LR Guo, PM Jones... - The Annals of ..., 2012 - Soc Thorac Surgeons Purpose: The technical difficulty of performing the left ventricular apical anastomosis has limited the adoption of aortic valve bypass surgery for the treatment of aortic stenosis. We report the successful use of an automated coring and apical connector device to perform ...

Corey Adams, M Da, Linrui Ray Guo, M Da,*, Philip M. Jones, M Db, Christopher Harle, MB Ch Bb, John W. Brown, M Dc, James S. Gammie, M Dd, Bob Kiaii, M Da

a Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Western Ontario, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada

b Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada

c Division of Cardiac Surgery, University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana

d Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland

Accepted for publication August 24, 2011.

Purpose: The technical difficulty of performing the left ventricular apical anastomosis has limited the adoption of aortic valve bypass surgery for the treatment of aortic stenosis. We report the successful use of an automated coring and apical connector device to perform aortic valve bypass surgery.

Description: A 74-year-old man, with a history of prior coronary bypass surgery with patent grafts and a porcelain ascending aorta, presented with symptomatic critical aortic stenosis. Through a left anterolateral thoracotomy, a valved conduit was anastomosed to the descending thoracic aorta. The automated coring and apical connector insertion device was used to core a plug of apical myocardium and simultaneously insert an 18-mm apical connector into the left ventricular apex.

Evaluation: There were no procedural complications, cardiopulmonary bypass was not used, and estimated blood loss was minimal. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 5, and at 3-month follow-up demonstrated significant clinical and hemodynamic improvement.

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Invited Commentary Anthony L. Estrera Ann. Thorac. Surg. 2012 93: 293. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]