Clinical Outcome of the PAS-Port Proximal Anastomosis System in Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in 201 Patients

AIM: The PAS-Port® Proximal Anastomosis System (Cardica, Inc, Redwood
City, CA, USA) has been used worldwide since March 2003. The objective
of the present study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of the
PAS-Port® Proximal Anastomosis System. METHODS:All the patients who
underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting in the Catharina
Hospital Eindhoven between August 2006 and April 2010 were included in a
non-randomized retrospective case-control study, if they had at least
one proximal vein graft anastomosis. Study end-points consisted of
overall survival, coronary reintervention and postoperative stroke.
RESULTS:The study included 312 patients (201 cases, 111 controls). After
36 months of follow-up there was no difference in survival between
cases and controls (92.2% vs. 93.7%, P=0.52). No significant difference
could be detected between cases and controls with respect to overall
coronary reintervention-free survival (93% vs. 96.4%, P=0.20) and
freedom from coronary reintervention due to proximal vein graft failure
(98% vs. 100% P=0.14). The use of the PAS-Port system could not be
identified as an independent risk factor of coronary reintervention
(p=0.21). Postoperative stroke rates of cases and controls (2% vs. 0.9%,
P=0.42) were comparable. CONCLKUSION:The clinical outcomes in patients
treated with the PAS-Port® Proximal Anastomosis System were satisfactory
compared with those treated with the conventional hand-sewing
technique. The use of the PAS-Port system was not associated with higher
adverse outcome in terms of overall survival, stroke, coronary
reintervention-free survival and freedom from reintervention due to
proximal vein graft failure.