Cardiac surgeons: Are we too tight?

Calhoon, John H.

doi:10.1016/j.jtcvs.2017.08.110

The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery

2018

DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2017.08.110

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Cardiac surgeons: Are we too tight?

John H. Calhoon

Abstract: This is a novel article that asks more questions than it answers. It forces us to rethink our surgical technique and consider suture knot tension, placement, depth, and spacing more completely.

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2022

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How Strong Can We Pull? Critical Thresholds for Traction Forces on the Aortic Annulus: Measurements on Fresh Porcine Hearts

et al. 2022

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Background and Objectives: Friable or infected tissue remains a challenge in surgical aortic valve replacement. We recently described the “Caput medusae” method, in which circumferential tourniquets temporarily secure the prosthesis and are then gently knotted. Tourniquets have been shown to develop significantly less force than knots. The current study investigates the critical threshold forces for tissue damage to the aortic annulus. Materials and Methods: In 14 fresh porcine hearts, the aortic valve leaflets were removed and several pledgeted sutures were placed along the annulus at defined locations. The hearts were mounted in a self-constructed device. Incremental traction force was applied to every suture and continuously recorded. The movement of each Teflon pledget was filmed with a high-speed camera. Forces at the moment of pledget “cut-in” as well as complete “tear-out” were determined from the recordings. Results: The average threshold force was determined 9.31 ± 6.04 N for cut-in and 20.41 ± 10.02 N for tear-out. Detailed analysis showed that the right coronary region had lower threshold forces than the other regions (4.77 ± 3.28 N (range, 1.67–12.75 N) vs. 10.67 ± 6.04 N (1.62–26.00 N) for cut-in and 10.67 ± 4.04 N (5.40–18.64 N) vs. 23.33 ± 9.42 N (9.22–51.23 N) for tear-out). The findings are discussed in conjunction with the knot and tourniquet forces from our previous study. Conclusions: Even in healthy tissue, moderate forces can reach a critical level at which a Teflon pledget will cut into the annulus, while a complete tear-out is unlikely. The right coronary portion is more susceptible to damage than the remaining regions. When compared to previous data, forces during manual knotting may exceed the critical cut-in level, while rubber tourniquets may provide a higher safety margin against tissue rupture.

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How Strong Can We Pull? Critical Thresholds for Traction Forces on the Aortic Annulus: Measurements on Fresh Porcine Hearts

et al. 2022

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Cardiac surgeons: Are we too tight?

Abstract: This is a novel article that asks more questions than it answers. It forces us to rethink our surgical technique and consider suture knot tension, placement, depth, and spacing more completely.

Cited by 1 publication

References 1 publication

How Strong Can We Pull? Critical Thresholds for Traction Forces on the Aortic Annulus: Measurements on Fresh Porcine Hearts

How Strong Can We Pull? Critical Thresholds for Traction Forces on the Aortic Annulus: Measurements on Fresh Porcine Hearts

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