New device to allow bypass surgery without stopping heart

Beijing, May 5

Scientists claim to have developed a unique device that will enable doctors to perform heart bypass surgery without stopping the organ itself.

The stapler like device for mending blood vessels using strong staples makes it possible to quickly and safely restore blood vessels and to considerably reduce the post-operative period, researchers said.

"The world has no other device like it. The main advantage is that it reliably patches up the blood vessels in no time," said Sergei Prokoshkin from National University of Science and Technology MISIS in Russia.

"In addition, it is very easy to quickly learn to use the stapler. It can be used during abdominal surgery to patch up blood vessels and other hollow body organs, including aortic aneurisms or during intestinal surgery," said Prokoshkin.

Normally, a bypass surgery lasts four to five hours, with doctors having to stop the heart. This enables lengthy post-operative rehabilitation, researchers said.

Doctors are unable to restart a patient's heart in 5 per cent of all cases, they said.

This new stitching instrument developed by researchers and their colleagues from Australia's Endogene-Globetek medical company allows doctors to operate on the heart while it beats, 'China Daily' reported.

Surgeons can simply bore two holes through it and put the bypass in place instead of sawing the breast bone apart.

The complete operation lasts about one hour, and the patient can be discharged the next day, researchers said.

The stapler uses special resilient nickel titanium (nitinol) reversible shape memory staples.

This metal can be deformed and then its original shape restored after abnormal deformations, researchers said.

The staples are inserted inside a cartridge which is then placed inside the polymer-body stapler's distal end, they said. — PTI