Use of an aortic connector system for vein grafting

OBJECTIVE: The aortic connector system was used to minimize cerebrovascular complications when performing the proximal anastomosis of vein grafts during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The goal of this study was to investigate the intermediate outcomes of patients undergoing CABG with the aortic connector system. METHODS: The aortic connector was used on nine patients undergoing CABG between November 2002 and July 2003. Intermediate outcomes of the patients were examined, and the results of coronary angiography, which were performed before patient discharge and at least 6 months after discharge, were evaluated. RESULTS: There were no operative deaths or cerebrovascular accidents. One patient died 9 months after discharge, one patient had angina, and the remaining seven patients were asymptomatic. When evaluating the results of angiography performed before patient discharge, two of the 21 distal vein graft anastomoses were occluded (patency rate, 90.5%), but there was no stenosis or occlusion at the proximal anastomoses sites that were performed using the aortic connector. When evaluating the results of the second angiography performed after patient discharge, four of the eight proximal anastomoses were patent, one was completely occluded, two had 90% stenosis and one had 75% stenosis. Further, four of the 18 distal anastomoses were occluded (patency rate, 77.8%). There was no significant difference in graft flow or device size when comparing patients with patent vein grafts and those with stenotic or occluded vein grafts. CONCLUSION: Intermediate outcomes of vein grafting using the aortic connector were suboptimal. Long-term outcome data are forthcoming.