Anastomotic devices for coronary artery bypass grafting: technological options and potential pitfalls

With the advent of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting and minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting, significant efforts have been made to facilitate construction of the graft to coronary anastomosis. As a result, a number of anastomotic devices have been developed. While the ideal anastomotic device should be easy to use, to produce a geometrically optimal anastomosis with minimal endothelial damage and minimal blood-exposed non-intimal surface, a number of design constraints apply. This review collects the available pre-clinical and clinical data for some of the devices with special regard for surgical outcome, patency rate and the need for additional perioperative anticoagulation treatment.