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Successful coronary artery bypass grafting with the aid of a portable minimized extracorporeal life support system
Assad Haneya1, Alois Philipp, Daniele Camboni
1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Germany. assadhaneya@web.de
Insights
The Cardiohelp extracorporeal life support system offers a safe and effective alternative for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery, demonstrating reduced blood transfusions and shorter intensive care unit stays.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Medical Devices
- Cardiopulmonary Support
Background:
- Extracorporeal life support (ECL S) is established for cardiac failure, transplantation, and shock.
- Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a common cardiac surgical procedure.
- Evaluating novel extracorporeal circulation systems is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the early clinical experience with the Cardiohelp system in CABG patients.
- To compare the outcomes of Cardiohelp-assisted CABG with minimized extracorporeal circulation (MECC) and conventional extracorporeal circulation (CECC).
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 50 patients undergoing CABG with Cardiohelp.
- Matched comparison with 100 patients (50 MECC, 50 CECC) from the same period.
- Analysis of intraoperative blood transfusion, postoperative biochemical markers, ventilation duration, and ICU length of stay.
Main Results:
- Cardiohelp and MECC groups showed significantly lower intraoperative blood transfusion rates compared to CECC (36% and 40% vs. 64%).
- Lower postoperative creatinine kinase and lactate levels were observed in Cardiohelp and MECC groups (p < 0.001).
- Shorter ventilation duration and ICU length of stay were noted in the Cardiohelp and MECC groups (p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- The Cardiohelp system is a safe and effective alternative for CABG surgery.
- Technical innovations and minimal side effects support its use in coronary surgery.
- No device-related complications or need for conversion to CECC were reported.
Abstract:
Extracorporeal life support system has been successfully used in patients with cardiac failure after open heart surgery, as a bridge to transplantation, and in patients with prolonged cardiogenic shock or cardiopulmonary arrest. This report presents our early experience with the new system Cardiohelp in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Between August 2010 and June 2011, 50 patients underwent CABG with the aid of Cardiohelp. This subgroup was matched for sex and logistic EuroSCORE with 100 patients, who underwent CABG using two different extracorporeal circulation systems, a minimized (MECC) (n = 50) and a conventional (CECC) (n = 50) during the same period. Because of less hemodilution, the intraoperative blood transfusion was significantly lower in the Cardiohelp group (36%) and MECC group (40%) compared with the CECC group (64%). Postoperative release of creatinine kinase and lactate was lower in the Cardiohelp and MECC groups (p < 0.001). Furthermore, these patients had shorter duration of ventilation and lengths of stay at the intensive care unit (p < 0.05). Device-related complications were not observed. A conversion to CECC was not necessary. In conclusion, the Cardiohelp is a safe alternative for CABG surgery. Valid technical innovations and limited number of side effects support its employment as a highly effective device for coronary surgery.
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