AORTIC ANASTOMOSIS MADE EASIER

During repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm, the proximal graft-aortic anastomosis is usually created following the technique described by Cr eech in 1966; the posterior wall of the aorta is not disturbed, thus p roviding a substantive bulk of tissue to which the graft can be suture d. Because of restricted access it is necessary to insert the needle i nto the posterior aortic wall and the graft separately before parachut ing the latter into position. Moreover, when the posterior wall is smo oth and flat, it is difficult to obtain adequate bites of tissue and t o retrieve the needle easily. The technique described in this paper wa s designed to allow simultaneous needle placement in the graft and aor tic wall while maintaining the principles of the Creech method.