Stabilizing technique of intra-fat coronary artery in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting
Ito, T.; Nakayama, M.; Abe, T.; Hagiwara, H.; Nakayama, T.; Yoshizumi, T.
Kyobu Geka. Japanese Journal of Thoracic Surgery 61(6): 460-461
2008
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-5252 PMID: 18536293 Document Number: 621257
Suction type stabilizers are popular for off-pump coronary artery bypass. However, arteries running deeply underneath fatty tissue are not stabilized well because the soft tissues act as cushions between the coronary artery and the stabilizer. We propose a simple method to stabilize and visualize intra fat coronary arteries. After dissection of target arteries, 5-0 polypropylene continuous over-and-over sutures are placed on the fat tissues along both sides of the coronary artery. These sutures are pulled laterally, and a suction stabilizer is placed so that the sutures lie under the legs of the stabilizer. Sutures fixed to the stabilizer legs with suction force reduce motion of the target vessel. Visualization of the coronary arteries is also improved because the banks of fat tissue become flat by pulling the sutures laterally.