[Coronary artery bypass-grafting using interrupted anastomosis with the U-clip]

For coronary artery anastomosis, the continuous suture technique is generally used because it is easy to perform, there is less anastomotic leakage, and a shorter anastomotic time compared with the interrupted suture technique. However, with this technique there is a potential risk of anastomotic stenosis caused by the purse-string effect, which does not occur with the interrupted suture technique. The U-Clip device was designed to facilitate the interrupted suture technique in coronary anastomosis by eliminating the need for suture management, knot tying, and surgical assistance. The device employs the superelastic properties of nitinol and two components: 1. a needle/suture delivery system, and 2. a detachable nitinol self-closing wire. We used this device successfully for LITA-LAD anastomosis in MIDCAB. When this device is applied to small caliber conduits, such as the internal thoracic arteries and the gastroepiploic artery, the side-to-side anastomosis can reduce the anastomotic leakage more efficiently, since the coronary incision and graft incision can be perfectly matched. The U-Clip facilitates coronary anastomosis by simplifying and decreasing the amount of manipulation and complexity required in minimally invasive CABG procedures. Nitinol technology also has potential in robotic and endoscopic surgical applications.