Femoral Arterial Cannulation

Congenital Disorders

cannulation, infant, femoral arterial

Many children undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease have had prior operations. Re-operative sternotomy carries with it the risk of cardiac injury and the need for emergent peripheral cannulation. Our first aim is to demonstrate that peripheral arterial cannulation may be lifesaving in cases of complicated sternal re-entry in children and that angio-catheters can be utilized when vessels are too small for standard cannulas. Our secondary aim is to present a case report of successful femoral cannulation in a 5 kg child.

In children, many of the standard operative sites are either occluded, stenosed, or too small for the smallest manufactured cannulas. In these instances, it may be feasible to utilize angio-catheters for arterial access until central cannulation can be achieved safely. In an in vitro model, we have simulated a cardiopulmonary bypass circuit and arterial cannulation with angio-catheters. It appears that angio-catheters may be used with acceptable flow hemodynamics for blood vessels too small for standard cannulas. We have performed this successfully in a 5 kg child. We have completed the cardiopulmonary bypass model and are ready to submit the hemodynamic data. We would like to submit to a national meeting and hopefully for publication thereafter.

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United States