Beijing, May 5
Scientists claim to have developed a
unique device that will enable doctors to perform heart bypass surgery without
stopping the organ itself.
The stapler like device for mending
blood vessels using strong staples makes it possible to quickly and safely
restore blood vessels and to considerably reduce the post-operative period,
researchers said.
"The world has no other device
like it. The main advantage is that it reliably patches up the blood vessels in
no time," said Sergei Prokoshkin from National University of Science and
Technology MISIS in Russia.
"In addition, it is very easy
to quickly learn to use the stapler. It can be used during abdominal surgery to
patch up blood vessels and other hollow body organs, including aortic aneurisms
or during intestinal surgery," said Prokoshkin.
Normally, a bypass surgery lasts
four to five hours, with doctors having to stop the heart. This enables lengthy
post-operative rehabilitation, researchers said.
Doctors are unable to restart a
patient's heart in 5 per cent of all cases, they said.
This new stitching instrument
developed by researchers and their colleagues from Australia's
Endogene-Globetek medical company allows doctors to operate on the heart while
it beats, 'China Daily' reported.
Surgeons can simply bore two holes
through it and put the bypass in place instead of sawing the breast bone apart.
The complete operation lasts about
one hour, and the patient can be discharged the next day, researchers said.
The stapler uses special resilient
nickel titanium (nitinol) reversible shape memory staples.
This metal can be deformed and then
its original shape restored after abnormal deformations, researchers said.
The
staples are inserted inside a cartridge which is then placed inside the
polymer-body stapler's distal end, they said. — PTI
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