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:
A catheter system is provided for accessing the coronary ostia (176, 180) transluminal from a peripheral arterial access site, such as the femoral artery, and for inducing cardioplegia arrest by direct infusion of cardioplegia solution into the coronary arteries. In a first embodiment, the catheter system is in the form of a single perfusion catheter (20) with multiple distal branches (24, 26, 28) for engaging the coronary ostia (176, 180). In a second embodiment, multiple perfusion catheters (82, 84) are delivered to the coronary ostia (176, 180) through a single arterial cannula (104). In a third embodiment, multiple perfusion catheters (112, 114, 116) are delivered to the coronary ostia (176, 180) through a single guiding catheter (126). In a fourth embodiment, multiple catheters (140, 142, 144) are delivered to the coronary ostia (176, 180) through a single guiding catheter (130) which has distal exit ports (134, 136, 138) that are arranged to direct the perfusion catheters into the coronary ostia (176, 180). In each embodiment, the catheters (20) are equipped with an occlusion means (30, 50) at the distal end of the catheter (20) for closing the coronary ostia (176, 180), and isolating the coronary arteries from the systemic blood flow.
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:
A multi-lumen catheter (10) having a reinforcing member (42) wrapped around at least one of the lumens (40) in a helical manner. An inflation lumen (43) is positioned outside the reinforcing member (42) for inflating a balloon (11) carried by the catheter (10). A two-lumen extrusion (339A) is bonded to the reinforced lumen (337A) to form the multi-lumen catheter. The multi-lumen catheter is particularly useful as an aortic occlusion catheter.
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:
Devices, systems, and methods are provided for accessing the interior of the heart, and performing procedures therein while the heart is beating. A tubular access device (22) is positioned through an intercostal space and through a muscular wall of the heart. The access device (22) includes a balloon or flange for sealing (32) the penetration to prevent leakage of blood. An obturator (52) is positionable in the access device, and includes cutting means (60) located at its distal end. Elongated instruments are introduced through the access device to perform surgical procedures including septal device repair, ablation, and electrophysiological mapping.
Abstract:
A venting catheter, system and method, are provided for withdrawing blood and other fluids from a patient's heart to facilitate decompressing the heart during cardioplegia arrest and cardiopulmonary bypass, without the need for a thoracotomy and without puncturing the aorta, pulmonary artery, or heart itself. The venting catheter (602) is configured to be introduced into a peripheral vein and intra-luminal advanced through the right side of the heart and into the pulmonary artery. The venting catheter includes a lumen (610) configured to withdraw blood at a rate of at least about 50 ml/min at a pressure of no less than about -350 mmHg. A flow directing means (615) is provided to facilitate guiding the catheter into the pulmonary artery by being carried by blood flow through the heart. The cardiac venting system may include, in addition to the cardiac venting catheter, a cardiopulmonary bypass system to maintain circulation of oxygenated blood, and means for arresting the patient's heart.
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.
Abstract:
This invention is a system for inducing cardio-plegia arrest and performing an endovascular procedure within the heart or blood vessels of a patient. An endo-aortic partitioning catheter (10) has an inflatable balloon (11) which occludes the ascending aorta (12) when inflated. Cardio-plegia fluid may be infused through a lumen of the endo-aortic partitioning catheter (39) to stop the heart while the patient's circulatory system is supported on cardiopulmonary bypass. One or more endovascular devices (500) are introduced through an internal lumen (40) of the endo-aortic partitioning catheter (30) to perform a diagnostic or therapeutic endovascular procedure within the heart or blood vessels of the patient. Surgical procedures such as coronary artery bypass surgery or heart valve replacement may be performed in conjunction with the endovascular procedure while the heart is stopped. Embodiments of the system are described for performing, e.g., fiberoptic angioscopy of structures within the heart and its blood vessels, and valvuloplasty for correction of valvular stenosis.
Abstract:
A retrograde delivery catheter (10) includes at its distal end a balloon (11) configured to occlude the coronary sinus (21) of a patient's heart, and has a length and flexibility which allow the distal end to be positioned in the coronary sinus (21) with the proximal end extending trans-luminal to a peripheral vein such as an internal jugular vein (44) and out of the body through a puncture (24) therein. The delivery catheter (20) has a delivey lumen (128) extending between its proximal and distal ends which is configured to allow a cardioplegia fluid to be delivered at a flow rate of at least 200 ml/min with a pump pressure less than 300 mm Hg, thereby allowing cardioplegia arrest to be maintained using a blood cardioplegia fluid without causing excessive hemolysis. In a method of inducing cardioplegia arrest according to the invention, the patient is placed on cardiopulmonary bypass (18), the coronary arteries (50, 51) are isolated from remainder of the arterial system, and the delivery catheter (10) is positioned trans-luminal in the coronary sinus (21) from a peripheral vein.