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Bovine internal thoracic artery graft. Successful use at urgent coronary bypass surgery
H Suma1, Y Wanibuchi, Y Terada
1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Mitsui Memorial Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Insights
Bovine internal thoracic artery grafts (Bioflow) proved effective in two emergency coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) cases. These grafts helped restore cardiac function and bypass damaged vessels, showing promise for urgent cardiac surgery.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Biomaterials in Medicine
- Grafting Techniques
Background:
- Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a critical procedure for severe coronary artery disease.
- Graft availability and patency are crucial, especially in complex or emergency cases.
- Alternative grafting materials are continuously explored to improve surgical outcomes.
Observation:
- Bovine internal thoracic artery grafts (Bioflow) were used in two emergency CABG scenarios.
- In one case, a Bioflow graft restored cardiac function after initial graft failure.
- In the second case, a Bioflow graft was used to bypass an accidentally injured vessel during reoperation.
Findings:
- Both Bioflow grafts demonstrated patency at 20 and 10 postoperative days.
- The grafts were successfully used to bypass critical coronary arteries (circumflex and right coronary).
- The use of Bioflow grafts in these emergency situations led to excellent clinical outcomes.
Implications:
- Bovine internal thoracic artery grafts (Bioflow) show potential efficacy in emergency CABG procedures.
- Bioflow may serve as a viable option when standard grafts are unavailable or compromised.
- Further investigation into Bioflow grafts could expand options for complex cardiac surgeries.
Abstract:
Bovine internal thoracic artery grafts (Bioflow) were successfully utilized in two patients for emergency coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). One patient was an 80-year-old man with severe varicose veins and a calcified ascending aorta. Heart failure occurred after triple CABG with bilateral internal thoracic and gastroepiploic arteries. The addition of a Bioflow graft to the circumflex artery restored good cardiac function. The second case was a 54-year-old man whose patent old saphenous vein graft was accidentally injured at reoperation. Emergency use of the Bioflow to bypass the right coronary artery in combination with the right gastroepiploic artery graft to the anterior descending artery resulted in an excellent outcome. The two Bioflow grafts were patent at the 20th and 10th postoperative days, respectively. These cases strongly suggest the efficacy of Bioflow during emergency situations in CABG.