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Ann Thorac Surg 1997;64:702-705
© 1997 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Division of Cardiac Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
Accepted for publication March 27, 1997.
| Abstract |
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Methods. Seven patients with peripheral vascular or aortic disease, or both, prohibiting safe aortic or femoral cannulation underwent cardiopulmonary bypass through axillary artery and axillary vein cannulation, approached through a small single subclavicular incision.
Results. All patients were successfully cannulated and axilloaxillary cardiopulmonary bypass was possible without the need for additional cannulas. All axillary vessels were closed primarily without complication.
Conclusion. For an expanding population of patients with peripheral vascular and aortic disease, axilloaxillary bypass is a safe and practical alternative to aortic or femoral cannulation.
| Introduction |
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| Patients and Methods |
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Axillary cannulation was chosen over femoral sites in 4 of 7 patients to avoid insult to femoral and lower extremity vessels known to be arteriosclerotic. Patients with poor or absent distal pulses, chronic changes on examination consistent with arterial occlusive disease, claudication, or previous lower extremity revascularizations were judged risky candidates for femoral artery cannulation. Axillary vessel cannulation was chosen over femoral in 3 of 7 patients to avoid retrograde flow through a diseased thoracic aorta, abdominal aorta, or iliac arteries that threatened poor flow or retrograde embolic risk. Aortoiliac disease was determined on the basis of severe aortoiliac irregularity by bifurcation views on coronary angiograms or previous peripheral angiograms. Ascending aortic disease was diagnosed by angiogram, transthoracic echocardiogram, or intraoperative transesophageal echocardiogram. Loose proximal descending aortic debris was imaged by echocardiogram and computed tomography in 1 patient with an arch aneurysm and a history of an atheroembolic stroke.
Methods
A 4- to 8-cm subclavicular incision is made at midclavicle (Fig 1
). Parallel pectoralis major fibers are separated to expose the subclavicular space. The axillary vein at its junction with the cephalic vein is readily identified and mobilized superficially, sometimes requiring the mobilization or division of some lateral pectoral nerve branches (Fig 1A
). The axillary vein is retracted cephalad to gain access to the deeper subclavicular space. The axillary artery is identified by palpation and is mobilized from its loose investing fascia, without touching the medial and lateral brachial plexus cords (Fig 1B
). Systemic heparin is given. The artery is clamped at either end of the exposed segment and a transverse arteriotomy is made. A 5-0 Prolene (Ethicon, Somerville, NJ) pursestring is placed surrounding the arteriotomy and a tourniquet applied. A 20F or 22F Sarns flexible arterial cannula (3M, Ann Arbor, MI) is introduced and advanced 2 to 3 cm into the artery as the proximal clamp is removed (Fig 1C
). The tourniquet is secured, the distal clamp removed, and the cannula secured to tourniquet and skin after connecting it to the CPB pump tubing circuit. Attention is then focused on the axillary vein, which lies superficial to the artery, and is easily accessible with the arterial cannula in place. A 5-0 Prolene longitudinal elliptical pursestring is placed at the cephalic veinaxillary vein junction. The mobilized segment of vein is clamped distally, a longitudinal venotomy is made within the pursestring, and a 25F or 27F Biomedicus venous femoral cannula and introducer (Medtronic-Biomedicus, Inc, Eden Prarie, MN) is advanced over a wire to 20 cm (Fig 1D
). Venous cannula position within the right atrium is confirmed by transesophageal echocardiogram. The tourniquet is secured, introducer and clamps are removed, and connection to the inflow circuit of the CPB pump is made. At decannulation, the venous cannula is removed and the purse string tied. Arterial decannulation is performed with a reclamping of the vessel, removal of the pursestring, and primary closure of the arteriotomy using 6-0 Prolene suture.
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| Results |
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There were no serious complications referable to the arm and its neurovascular structures. Two patients experienced a transient brachial plexus neuropathy resulting in right hand weakness that resolved before discharge. All patients achieved full CPB with flows in excess of 3 L/min without difficulty. All axillary arteriotomies were closed primarily, without the need for thrombectomy or reconstruction. No ischemic upper extremities or compartment syndromes were noted. One patient died of renal failure and stroke after reoperation coronary artery bypass grafting and ascending aortic replacement for a "porcelain" aorta.
| Comment |
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Arteriosclerotic disease in the aortoiliac and femoral systems may render common femoral artery cannulation unsuccessful altogether, or complicated by the need for patch angioplasty, endarterectomy, or thrombectomy on decannulation. Lower extremity ischemia, compartment syndrome, neurologic injury, and wound complications such as lymphocele or infection further complicate the use of the groin site for CPB cannulation [15, 16]. Propagating retrograde dissection, or the dislodgement and retrograde embolization of luminal debris, can result in ischemic end-organ injury such as stroke, renal failure, and mesenteric ischemia [17, 18].
Common femoral vein cannulation can be complicated by an inability to negotiate the cannula successfully across its long course to the right atrium, pelvic venous injury, and retroperitoneal bleeding, and is contraindicated in the presence of an inferior vena cava filter, deep venous thrombosis, or other intrinsic or extrinsic obstruction to the pelvic veins or inferior vena cava.
The axillary artery is an established alternative cannulation site [57]. Even in a setting of extensive aortic and innominate artery disease, the axillary artery is rarely affected and provides an excellent site for safe antegrade aortic perfusion, which may play a role in preventing embolic stroke [19]. In contradistinction to the femoral vessels, the axillary vessels enjoy rich collateralization from the thyrocervical trunk to the suprascapular and transverse cervical arteries, allowing near or total occlusion of the axillary artery to be performed without the threat of upper extremity ischemia or reperfusion injury.
A proximal cannulation site along the axillary artery, near the axillary arterysubclavian artery junction, provides the passage of a 20F to 22F arterial cannula at a location where the cords of the brachial plexus are coursing posteriorly and are not in close proximity to the artery. A synthetic graft-to-artery anastomosis with graft cannulation has been described, but this technique was not performed in this series, as direct arterial cannulation was straightforward in every case, and the additional needle trauma to the artery, potential leak, or graft kinking was avoided. The vein at this level admits the passage of a 25F to 27F venous cannula. A longitudinally placed elliptical pursestring at the junction of the cephalic and axillary veins can be closed at decannulation without narrowing the vein.
An additional advantage of axillary vein cannulation is that retrograde cerebral perfusion can be administered during circulatory arrest by pulling the venous cannula into the superior vena cava, clamping the superior vena cava below, and perfusing the venous cannula with cerebroplegia.
Femoral cannulation site wound healing can be problematic in the immunocompromised, malnourished, vasculopathic, obese, or diabetic patient, and can inhibit early ambulation and physical therapy. In complicated reoperative cardiac transplantation requiring peripheral cannulation, femoral cannulation site lymphocele with chronic drainage is a common complication, prompting this institution to prefer the axillary site in this setting. The axillary cannulation site incision does not cross a joint, is covered by pectoralis muscle on closure, and heals well without impeding ambulation.
In conclusion, the list of indications for peripheral cannulation for CPB is expanding as complex reoperations and minimally invasive operations become more common. Axillary artery and vein cannulation for peripheral cardiopulmonary bypass is a safe and effective alternative to femorofemoral bypass in the patient with prohibitive aortic or peripheral vascular disease, in situations where antegrade flow is desirable, or where wound healing capacity is depressed.
| Footnotes |
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| References |
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