Reoperative cardiac surgery using a new femoral venous right atrial cannula.

A new ultra-thin but nonkinkable catheter was used for transfemoral venous right atrial drainage for cardiopulmonary bypass in 35 patients undergoing reoperations for coronary artery disease (CAD) (14), valve replacement (16), combined valve and CAD (4), and left ventricular aneurysm resection (1). Adequate flow rates were obtained with these cannula of 25, 27, and 29 French diameter in all patients. This technique provided excellent drainage of the heart allowing for a decompressed heart to dissect with no bleeding or damage to patent obstructed cardiopulmonary bypass grafts. There was no mortality over perioperative myocardial infarction postoperatively.