Coronary artery stabilization causes endothelial damage: an electron microscopic study on dogs

In recent years, to protect patients from adverse effects of cardiopulmonar y bypass, off-pump coronary artery bypass operations are performed. In thes e operations, effective coronary artery immobilization is the standard for a fine anastomosis, This is usually maintained with the help of prolene imm obilization sutures, bulldog occluders or mechanical epicardial devices, Th e aim of this study is to show whether these stabilization devices cause an y damage to the coronary artery endothelium. Sixteen dogs are included in t his study and are divided into four groups. The control group consisted of one dog (Group I) and different immobilization techniques are applied to th e other groups, which were five dogs each (Groups II, III, and IV). Coronar y artery biopsies are obtained, then the samples are studied under scanning electron microscope (SEM) for endothelial injury and all samples are score d. Among the techniques used, bulldog occluders caused less injury on the c oronary endothelium than the prolene sutures. (C) 2001 The International So ciety for Cardiovascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All ri ghts reserved.