Abdominal Vessel Cannulation Before Resternotomy in Complex Congenital Heart Surgery

Repeat cardiac operations are common among patients with complex congenital heart disease. Inadvertent cardiotomy during redo sternotomy can increase intraoperative time and mortality. Establishing extracorporeal circulation before resternotomy may render redo congenital cardiac surgery cases safer and more expeditious. In the present report, we describe the technique of preemptive cannulation of the abdominal aorta (or right common iliac artery) and inferior vena cava. This approach may be a useful when femoral vessels are occluded owing to many catheterizations or prior cannulations. In our practice, no reentry injuries or other complications related to abdominal vessel cannulation have occurred.