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(Circulation. 2004;110:II-55 – II-60.)
© 2004 American Heart Association, Inc.

Surgery for Coronary Artery Disease

Magnetic Vascular Port in Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Uwe Klima, MD PhD; Horace MacVaugh, III, MD FACS; Eric Bagaev, MD; Michael Maringka, MD; S. Kirschner, CM; J. Beilner, CM; Axel Haverich, MD PhD

From Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Medical School, Hannover, Germany.

Correspondence to Uwe Klima, MD, PhD, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, 30623 Hannover, Germany. E-mail klima{at}thg-mh.hannover.de

Background— Minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting (MIDCAB) is a well-established operative procedure. However, it is technically demanding and is therefore somewhat underused. We evaluated the clinical and angiographic outcome of patients undergoing a MIDCAB procedure with the Ventrica Magnetic Vascular Port (MVP®) system.

Methods and Results— A Ventrica MVP® system was used in 10 of 11 selected MIDCAB patients. The system consists of 6 magnetic clips, with 3 clips forming a set. One magnetic clip set is positioned at the arteriotomy of the target artery and of the bypass graft using a preloaded delivery system. These ports then form an anastomosis by magnetic coupling. The mean age of the 10 patients (6 male) was 60.3±11.0 years. Three patients had an angiogram at the time of discharge and 8 returned for a 6-month angiogram. The total procedure time was 128.2±12.2 minutes. The mean anastomotic time was 199 seconds. The mean ischemic time during the anastomosis was 146±146 seconds. There were no in-hospital complications and no device-related adverse events. All 3 predischarge and all 8 6-month angiograms showed patent anastomoses.

Conclusions— The magnetic vascular port facilitates the MIDCAB procedure significantly and reduces the ischemic time during the anastomosis. This minimally invasive procedure has the potential to be an alternative to percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and stenting in proximal left anterior descending (LAD) stenosis. It may expand the acceptance of hybrid procedures in which a left internal mammary artery (LIMA)-to-LAD graft optimally supplies the anterior wall and the septum while the circumflex and right coronary artery may be treated interventionally.

Key Words: bypass • revascularization • minimally invasive • automated anastomosis • magnetic