ConVes: The Sutureless Aortic Graft Anastomotic Device.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Minimally invasive left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation is increasingly feasible due to device miniaturization.
• Surgical techniques for LVAD implantation require efficient and reliable methods for aortic anastomosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel sutureless aortic anastomosis device designed to streamline the LVAD implantation procedure.
• To assess the feasibility of using this device for creating outflow graft anastomoses in the ascending aorta.

Main Methods:

• A novel anastomotic device was used to create a sutureless outflow graft anastomosis in the ascending aorta.
• The device deploys and anchors an acute-angled stent in the aortic wall.
• Four anastomoses were performed on beating porcine hearts without aortic cross-clamping or cardiopulmonary bypass.

Main Results:

• The sutureless anastomosis procedure was rapid and straightforward, averaging 8.1 minutes.
• The device facilitated outflow graft implantation with a consistent 45-degree angulation.
• The procedure was successfully demonstrated on beating hearts, indicating potential for off-pump surgery.

Conclusions:

• This proof-of-concept study confirms the feasibility and short-term success of the sutureless anastomotic device.
• The device offers a promising approach to simplify and expedite LVAD implantation.
• Further preclinical investigations are warranted to assess the long-term durability of the created anastomoses.