A Simple Device for Morphofunctional Evaluation During Aortic Valve-Sparing Surgery Alessandro Leone, MD, Piergiorgio Bruno, MD, Federico Cammertoni, MD, Massimo Massetti, MD The Annals of Thoracic Surgery Volume 100, Issue 1, Pages 331-333 (July 2015) DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2015.02.120 Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions
Fig 1 In step 1, we created a 2.4-mm (7F) hole in the bottom of the container using the cautery. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 2015 100, 331-333DOI: (10.1016/j.athoracsur.2015.02.120) Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions
Fig 2 In step 2, we inserted the central venous catheter common line into the hole and cut it at a distance of 2 mm from the bottom of the container to allow removal of air during the hydrostatic test. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 2015 100, 331-333DOI: (10.1016/j.athoracsur.2015.02.120) Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions
Fig 3 In step 3, we fixed the central venous catheter to the container using synthetic surgical glue. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 2015 100, 331-333DOI: (10.1016/j.athoracsur.2015.02.120) Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions
Fig 4 The complete tester, ready to be used. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 2015 100, 331-333DOI: (10.1016/j.athoracsur.2015.02.120) Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions
Fig 5 Before reimplanting the coronary ostia, the tester is inserted in the prosthetic ascending aorta with the bottom end down, and the graft is clenched around the tester with a silk suture. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 2015 100, 331-333DOI: (10.1016/j.athoracsur.2015.02.120) Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions
Fig 6 The three lumens allow introduction of water for the hydrostatic test, air-removing maneuvers, and pressure measurements. The transparent container allows direct visualization of the aortic valve. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 2015 100, 331-333DOI: (10.1016/j.athoracsur.2015.02.120) Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions