Cardiac Surgery Concepts Flashcards
Lance Carter, AA-C (128 cards)
What are the basic steps of a CABG?
- Blood vessel(s) from the body are removed (harvested)
- The harvested vessels (grafts) are sewn proximal and distal to an atherosclerotic coronary artery
- Blood now flows through the harvested vessel and “bypasses” the blocked coronary artery

In a CABG, where is the proximal anastomosis?
Aorta
In a CABG, the distal anastamosis is ________ to the blockage?
distal
Are the distal or proximal anastamoses sewn first?
Distal, because there are less proximal to do and it ensures that the anastomose is correctly placed. Usually, when the surgeon is done with the distal anastomoses the surgery is about to be finished.
What is the most commonly used graft, especially in the LAD?

When is a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) indicated?
Cardiac stenting is a much less invasive procedure is an alternative to coronary artery bypass grafting, and it used for less severe cases of coronary artery disease

What are the two different types of stents commonly used?

What is in cardioplegic solution?

Cardioplegia is a potassium rich solution that can also contain many different additives, such as glucose, magnesium, calcium, bicarb, buffers, and free radical scavengers (Mannitol)
What is a surgery where cardiopulmonary bypass would be needed?
Traditional open valve replacement
Coronary bypass procedures
How does cardiopulmonary bypass work?
- De-oxygenated blood is drawn away from the heart through a “venous cannula”
- The venous blood is stored in a venous reservoir (holding tank…)
- The venous blood is sent through a oxygenator, heat exchanger, and arterial filter
4/5. The oxygenated blood is reinfused into the body via a “main pump” (4) that pumps the blood into the aorta through an “arterial cannula” (5)
- An aortic cross clamp is usually placed on the ascending aorta in order to:

What are the main components of the bypass machine?

What is the most common method for removing deoxygenated blood from the patient during bypass?
Placing the venous cannula in the right atrium is the most common method for removing deoxygenated blood from the patient during cardiac bypass

When could you not use a right atrial cannula?

Where are the venous cannulas placed during a right heart surgery?

Can you place a venous cannula in the right atrium without opening the chest?
Yes, you can thread it through the femoral vein; likewise for the femoral artery

What are the two main purposes for the venous reservoir?
- The venous cannula can remove any air that inadvertently enters the venous drainage line
- It also stores a surplus of blood in the bypass circuit

As much as _____L of blood may need to be translocated from the patient to the ECC when full CPB begins
1-3 L
The “main pump” pumps blood to the body via the arterial cannula, and it has the option of pulsatile flow or non-pulsatile flow. Since 2016, which one is more common?

Non-pulsatile
Pulsatile flow is a newer technique (is less common as of 2016), and is possible with a “_____” pump, or a “________” pump
“Roller pump” or “Diagonal pump”
What is the advantage to pulsatile flow?
It is more physiological, so perfusion is often better
What are disadvantages to pulsatile flow?
- “Achieving pulsatile flow from a noncompliant high resistance CPB circuit is difficult”
- “The higher flows and resultant shear stresses necessary to obtain an efficient pulsatile flow are a disadvantage to the technique, because they can result in more damage to blood elements”
What is the function of the heat exchanger?

Modest hypothermia is around ___°C
34°C
What are advantages to modest hypothermia?
- *1. Decreases oxygen requirements** (Clinical Anesthesia in Neurosurgery, 2nd edition, page 34)
- A decrease in body temperature 1°C decreases cerebral O2 consumption by 5%
- A decrease in body temperature 10°C decreases cerebral O2 consumption by 50%
- *2. Decreases anesthetic requirements**
- Hypothermia acts as anesthetic





































































































