Abstract:
An instrument delivery member (2) for use in the thoracic cavity and a method for its use, is disclosed. The delivery member (2) has a gas inlet (40) coupled to a sidewall (44) of the instrument delivery member (2). Gas delivered through the inlet (68) passes through the delivery member and out a plurality of gas outlets (38) such that the gas exiting through the gas outlets (38) passes across the through hole (4) of the delivery member (2) to form a gas shield.
Abstract:
Device and methods are provided for less invasive surgical treatment of cardiac valves whereby the need for a gross thoracotomy or median sternotomy is eliminated. In one aspect of this invention, a delivery system (10) for a cardiac valve prosthesis such as an annuloplasty ring (90) or prosthetic valve (262) includes an elongated handle (28) configured to extend into the heart through an intercostal space from outside of the chest cavity, and a prosthesis holder (100) attached to the handle for releasably holding a prosthesis. The prosthesis holder (100) is attached to the handle (28) in such a way that the holder (100), prosthesis (90) and handle (28) have a profile with a height smaller than the width of an intercostal space when the adjacent ribs are unrectrated, preferably less than about 30 mm. In a further aspect, the invention provides a method for repairing or replacing a heart valve which includes the steps of introducing a prosthesis (262) through an intercostal space and through a penetration in a wall of the heart, and securing the prosthesis (262) to an interior wall of the heart, wherein each step is carried out without cutting, removing, or significantly retracting the ribs or sternum.
Abstract:
Devices and methods are provided for temporarily inducing cardio-plegia arrest in the heart of a patient, and for establishing cardiopulmonary bypass in order to facilitate surgical procedures onthe heart and its related blood vessels. Specifically, a catheterbased system is provided for isolating the heart and coronary blood vessels of a patient from the remainder of the arterial system(850), and for infusing a cardio-plegia agent into the patient's coronary arteries to induce cardio-plegia arrest in the heart. The system includes an endo-aortic partitioning catheter (10) having an expandable balloon (11, 161) at its distal end, which is expanded within the ascending aorta (12, 157) to occlude the aortic lumen between the coronary ostia and the brachio-cephalic artery. Means for centering the catheter tip (330) within the ascending aorta include specially curved shaft configurations (1600), eccentric (710) or shaped (792) occlusion balloons (161, 350), and a steerable catheter tip (145) which may be used separately or in combination. The shaft of the catheter may have a coaxial (106) or multilumen (602) construction.
Abstract:
A method of treatment of congestive heart failure comprises the steps of introducing an aortic occlusion catheter (26) through a patient's peripheral artery, the aortic occlusion catheter (26) having an occluding member (30) movable from a collapsed position to an expanded position; positioning the occluding member (30) in the patient's ascending aorta; moving the occluding member (30) from the collapsed shape to the expanded shape after the positioning step; introducing cardio-plegia fluid into the patient's coronary blood vessels to arrest the patient's heart; maintaining circulation of oxygenated blood through the patient's arterial system; and reshaping an outer wall of the patient's heart while the heart is arrested so as to reduce the transverse dimension of the left ventricle. The ascending aorta may be occluded and cardio-plegia fluid delivered by means of an occlusion balloon (44) attached to the distal end of an elongated catheter (42) positioned trans-luminal in the aorta from a femoral, subclavian, or other appropriate peripheral artery.
Abstract:
Surgical methods and instruments are disclosed for performing port-access or closed-chest coronary artery bypass (CABG) surgery in multivessel coronary artery disease. In contrast to standard open-chest CABG surgery, which requires a median sternotomy or other gross thoracotomy to expose the patient's heart, post-access CABG surgery is performed through small incisions or access ports made through the intercostal spaces between the patient's ribs, resulting in greatly reduced pain and morbidity to the patient. In situ arterial bypass grafts, such as the internal mammary arteries and/or the right gastroepiploic artery, are prepared for grafting by thoracoscopic or laparoscopic takedown techniques. Free grafts, such as a saphenous vein graft or a free arterial graft, can be used to augment the in situ arterial grafts. The graft vessels are anastomosed to the coronary arteries under direct visualization through a cardioscopic microscope inserted through an intercostal access port. Retraction instruments are provided to manipulate the heart within the closed chest of the patient to expose each of the coronary arteries for visualization and anastomosis. Disclosed are a tunneler and an articulated tunneling grasper for rerouting the graft vessels, and a finger-like retractor, a suction cup retractor, a snare retractor and a loop retractor for manipulating the heart. Also disclosed is a port-access topical cooling device for improving myocardial protection during the port-access CABG procedure. An alternate surgical approach using an anterior mediastinotomy is also described.
Abstract:
This invention is a coronary shunt (800B) for occluding both sides of an anastomosis site, and providing a blood flow path across the anastomosis site. The shunt includes two occluding members (802B) sized and configured to occlude the coronary artery. A tether (808) is attached to the coronary shunt, and is used to remove the coronary shunt from the coronary artery before completing the anastomosis.
Abstract:
The invention provides devices and methods for suture placement while performing less invasive surgical procedures within a body cavity. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention provides for the placement of sutures (24) within the heart (H) or a great vessel that is accessed from outside the closed chest. According to one exemplary method, the patient's heart valve is accessed through an intercostal port (56) in the patient's chest. At least, one needle (26) having a suture (24) is then directed into the annulus while visualizing through the port placement (56) of the needle into the annulus. The needle (26) is then passed through the annulus.
Abstract:
Systems and methods are disclosed for performing less invasive surgical procedures within the heart. A method for less invasive repair or replacement of a cardiac valve (216) comprises placing an instrument (290) through an intercostal access port (212) and through a penetration in a wall of a vessel in communication with the heart, advancing the instrument (290) into the heart, using the instrument (290) to perform a surgical intervention on a cardiac valve (216) in the heart under visualization through an intercostal access port. The surgeons hands are kept outside of the chest during each step. The surgical intervention may comprise replacing the cardiac valve with a prosthetic valve, wherein the native valve is removed using a tissue removal instrument (206), the native valve annulus is sized with a specialized sizing device (216), a prosthetic valve is introduced through an intercostal access port (212) and through the penetration in the vessel, and the prosthetic valve is secured at the native valve position, all using instruments positioned through intercostal access ports without placing the hands inside the chest. Systems and devices for performing these procedures are also disclosed.