Pediatric Implant of Synthetic Artery Bypass Graft

A synthetic coronary artery bypass graft developed for use in bypass surgery has been successfully used in a four-month-old baby.

The baby was diagnosed with heart failure, secondary to an enlarged left ventricle and mitral valve regurgitation. The left ventricle was not pumping blood adequately, so blood was not being distributed properly to the body. The depressed systolic function of the left ventricle and scarring of heart muscle left the baby little chance of survival. The defective heart was diagnosed as a congenital condition and considered lethal.

After the implant of the synthetic graft, echocardiography and ultrasound showed that the graft worked as designed, maintaining proper blood flow for the life of the baby. Imaging also confirmed the graft's patency. Unfortunately, after 47 days, the baby died from causes unrelated to the use or performance of the bypass graft. The graft, called CardioPass, is now in clinical trials.

"The implantation of the CardioPass was an important factor in prolonging the life of the baby,” said Dr. Ivo Nesralla, professor of cardiac surgery at the Institute of Cardiology in Porto Alegre (Brazil), who performed the procedure. "Patency is critical to the successful use of the graft.”

The synthetic bypass graft was developed by CardioTech (Woburn, MA, USA). The company states that it is one of only two companies in the world in human trials with a synthetic coronary artery bypass graft. More than 350,000 coronary artery bypass graft procedures are performed annually in the United States alone.




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