[The left atrial-femoral bypass in operations on the descending aorta]

Fifteen patients were operated on for aortic aneurysms and were fitted with prostheses of the thoracoabdominal portion of the aorta in March 1997-February 1999. The operations were performed under conditions of a left atrial-femoral bypass with a centrifuge pump with a working heart. The patients were divided into 2 groups. In group 1 (10 pts), standard extracorporeal shunting and Cell-Saver were used, in group 2 (5 pts) the extracorporeal contour included an original system for rapid collection and return of autoblood. A left-atrial bypass prevented ischemia of the organs of the abdominal cavity and lower part of the body. Incorporation of a system for rapid collection and return of autoblood into the extracorporeal contour maintained stable hemodynamics, decreased heparin dose, preserved autoblood, and decreased the amount of transfused donor blood and its components.