Suction Holds Tissue Stabilizer on Heart

An innovative cardiac surgery instrument enables heart surgeons to stabilize the area in the heart while working on it.

The Octopus Evolution tissue stabilizer is intended for use in beating-heart surgery. The stabilizer includes suction pods that hold the surface tissue of the heart stable while the surgeon attaches a transplanted vessel around blockages in the coronary arteries. The device can be easily positioned on any target area of the heart surface, stabilizing the suture site to a degree unattainable before, and enabling the surgeon to continue working with an unimpeded view as the vessel is sutured in place.

The tissue stabilizers' malleable stabilizer pods can be formed to the unique contours of the patient's anatomy, and a unique tissue-spreading mechanism enhances stabilization of the anastomotic site and presentation of the coronary artery. The stabilizer was developed by Medtronic (Minneapolis, MN, USA).

The tissue stabilizer is part of the Medtronic Octopus system that is designed to maximize access and stabilization of coronary arteries for off-pump grafting. The system also includes the OctoBase retractor, which allows multiple mounting options, the Starfish heart positioner, with an integrated bellows suspension that allows for natural heart movement throughout the cardiac cycle, and a three-appendage silicone head design that allows for multiple attachment options to optimize placement on the epicardium.

Conventional coronary artery bypass (CCABG) necessitates the use of a heart-lung machine to pump and oxygenate the patient's blood while the heart is stopped.



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