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Ann Thorac Surg 1998;65:1509
© 1998 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

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Correspondence

Cuffed Venous Return Cannulas in Minimally Invasive Cardiac Operations

^a Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Al Hada Armed Forces Hospital, PO Box 1347, Taif, Saudi Arabia

We read with interest the articles [1–4] about minimally invasive mitral valve operations, and we believe, like many others, that central aortic and caval cannulation is safer and superior to femoral cannulation, which is associated with a considerable amount of peripheral vascular complications.

We introduced the concept of cuffed venous return cannulas in the late 1980s; initially, we used cuffed endotracheal tubes when we were faced with a large number of high-risk valvular patients requiring second, third, and sometimes even fourth reoperations, in which the mobilization of the cavae is very hazardous [5, 6].

We have found that use of the cuffed venous return cannulas (recently modified by DLP, Inc, Grand Rapids, MI) is very effective and safer than trying to go around the cavae when dense fibrous adhesions exist (Fig 1).

View larger version (46K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig 1. Bicaval cuffed venous return cannulas.

Recently, with the introduction of minimally invasive mitral, tricuspid valve, and right atrial procedures, the use of cuffed venous return cannulas facilitates the technique and spares both the time and space required to go around the cavae with the conventional snares.

References

1. Svensson L.G. Minimal-access "J" or "j" sternotomy for valvular, aortic, and coronary operations or reoperations. Ann Thorac Surg 1997;64:1501-1503.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
2. Navia J.L., Cosgrove D.M., III Minimally invasive mitral valve operations. Ann Thorac Surg 1996;62:1542-1544.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
3. Schwartz D.S., Ribakove G.H., Grossi E.A., et al. Minimally invasive mitral valve replacement: Port Access techniques, feasibility and myocardial functional preservation. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1997;113:1022-1030.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
4. Benetti F.J., Rizzardi J.L., Pire L., et al. Mitral valve replacement under video assistance through a minithoracotomy. Ann Thorac Surg 1997;63:1150-1152.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
5. Al-Ebrahim K.E. Use of endotracheal cuffed tubes for caval occlusion in redo surgery. Saudi Heart J 1990;3:89-90.
6. Al-Ebrahim K.E., Raffa H., Mimish L., et al. Redo valvular surgery: the King Fahd Centre experience. ECC Int 1992;4:115-117.

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Khalid E. Al-Ebrahim Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Al-Ebrahim, K. E. Articles by El Shafei, H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Al-Ebrahim, K. E. Articles by El Shafei, H.