A novel device for clampless proximal anastomosis in OPCAB surgery: the IPAD

The Coalescent IPAD (Coalescent Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) is a novel device that enables creation of a compliant proximal vein anastomosis to the aorta during off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery while reducing the risk of cerebrovascular emboli and early stenosis. We performed IPAD-created anastomoses in 76 patients having standard OPCAB surgery. Following the procedures, no patients developed myocardial infarctions or reported angina, suggesting patency of the vein grafts to be of high quality. We found the device to be a useful adjunct for minimally invasive CAB graft surgery.