In open heart surgeries, providing myocardial protection with antegrade cardioplegia requires placement of a special cannula into the aortic root. (Yes, we know that some surgeons just use 12-14 G IV catheters for that purpose, and their patients seem to do just fine.) These specialized cannulae are often clunky, as they feature a number of side ports and anchoring devices. Cardiac surgeon Dr. Jakob Vinten-Johansen from Emory University believes that he came up with a better design for cardioplegia catheters to include side rails that can easily grab onto placed sutures and provide the grip needed without using rummels and not having to spend the time working on creating a proper hold.
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