Traction-type heart stabilizer for off-pump coronary bypass grafting

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Medical Device Design
• Surgical Innovation

Background:

• Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) traditionally requires cardiopulmonary bypass.
• Performing CABG on a beating heart presents challenges in stabilizing the target coronary artery.
• Improved methods for on-pump and off-pump CABG are continuously sought.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel stabilizer for facilitating coronary artery bypass grafting on a beating heart.
• To describe the design and mechanism of the U-shaped platform stabilizer.
• To evaluate the stabilizer's effectiveness in immobilizing the target coronary artery for anastomosis.

Main Methods:

• Design and construction of a U-shaped holed platform with an articulating arm and clamp.
• Dissection of the target coronary artery.
• Application of two elastic traction sutures proximal and distal to the anastomotic site.
• Passing sutures through the platform holes to immobilize the coronary artery segment.

Main Results:

• The stabilizer provides a U-shaped platform for precise positioning.
• Articulating arm and clamp ensure secure attachment to standard sternal retractors.
• Traction sutures effectively immobilize the target coronary artery, creating a steady surgical field.
• The device facilitates easier performance of anastomosis on the beating heart.

Conclusions:

• The designed stabilizer offers effective immobilization of the coronary artery during beating heart surgery.
• This device simplifies the technical demands of performing anastomosis in on-pump and off-pump CABG.
• The stabilizer represents a valuable tool for enhancing surgical outcomes in coronary revascularization procedures.