MAQUET Cardiovascular Announces Availability of Best Practices Whitepaper on Endoscopic Vessel Harvesting for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

WAYNE, N.J., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- MAQUET Cardiovascular today announced the availability of a "Golden Rules" whitepaper documenting endoscopic vessel harvesting (EVH) best practices.  EVH is a minimally invasive technique widely used during coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery to remove a vessel from the leg or arm of a patient that is then used as conduit by bypassing blockages.  The paper highlights the value EVH provides patients, and consolidates the vast scientific experience, knowledge and learnings from a network of well-seasoned harvesters into one state-of-the-art summary.  

Harvesting technologies, methods and training have significantly evolved since EVH was first introduced, and this paper captures techniques and tips known in practice to optimize clinical outcomes.   The resulting collective opinion was organized by members of a MAQUET Cardiovascular EVH advisory board who agree that the adoption of best practice techniques by their peers and colleagues may contribute to better patient care.

"As a harvester group, we represent 25 concurrent and over 50 years collective in cardiovascular practice experience and we see first hand the benefit EVH brings to patients.  We want to support the new harvester learning curve and minimize potential risks to vessel integrity so that all patients experience the value this technology delivers," said Lonnie J. Ginn PA-C, a contributing author of the EVH best practices paper and Cardiac Physician Assistant at Physician Assistant Services of Texas L.L.P.  "It is important to share what we know about the harvesting of saphenous veins and radial arteries, from preoperative steps to peri-operative vessel preparation in order to ensure conduit protection and quality."

"As a global market leader offering a range of VASOVIEW EVH products, MAQUET Cardiovascular has continually advanced its EVH technology to provide cardiothoracic surgical teams the newest innovations," said Christian Keller, President and CEO, MAQUET Cardiovascular.   "We wholeheartedly support the need to communicate the best practices for technologies we offer and believe this "Golden Rules" paper further highlights our commitment to promoting the highest level of care for patients."

The EVH best practices paper, entitled "Endoscopic Vessel Harvesting: Using Advancements and Best Practices to Enhance Conduit Quality," is available as an information download on each EVH product page via the MAQUET website at www.maquet.com.

Open Vessel Harvesting vs. EVH

Traditional open vessel harvesting is a procedure used to obtain a healthy blood vessel, such as the saphenous vein from the leg or the radial artery from the arm, for use during CABG surgery to bypass a blockage in an artery supplying the heart with blood. The traditional open vessel harvesting procedure requires a long incision extending the length of the limb.  Patients undergoing traditional harvesting methods experience extended recovery periods and are at greater risk of infection and complications.  

In EVH, the healthy blood vessel is removed through a small incision. Today, EVH is considered the standard of care. In 2008, 76 percent of CABG cases in the United States used EVH, which has been shown to reduce postoperative pain, recovery time, infection rates and scarring and allows patients to walk sooner and recover more quickly than with conventional open vein harvesting surgery.

MAQUET's Commitment to Conduit Quality

MAQUET's market-leading VASOVIEW EVH portfolio of products was launched in 1997. Each successive generation of this technology has been developed in partnership with the specialists who use the systems in daily practice and reflects a continued commitment to optimal clinical outcomes.  Since the first VASOVIEW product was launched, more than 1 million procedures using VASOVIEW products have been performed.

VASOVIEW HEMOPRO 2 EVH System and VASOSHIELD Pressure Controlling Syringe represent MAQUET's most recent efforts in optimizing conduit quality.  The new VASOVIEW HEMOPRO 2 System, which utilizes next-generation HEMOPRO cut-and-seal technology, virtually eliminates thermal damage to the harvested vessel.  The new VASOSHIELD Pressure Controlling Syringe prevents uncontrolled overdistension of the harvested vessel during vessel preparation, thus preserving endothelial integrity and further protecting the vessel.  

About MAQUET Cardiovascular

MAQUET Cardiovascular is a leader in providing innovative products for cardiac surgery, vascular intervention and cardiac support to hospitals and clinics and the cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists, perfusionists and other healthcare professionals who care for patients with cardiovascular disease. MAQUET Cardiovascular is focused on providing clinicians with future-oriented technology that fits into their daily practice and improves the therapeutic management of patients. MAQUET Cardiovascular continues to invest in the development of innovative technologies and solutions that advance clinical practice, improve patient outcomes and enhance quality of life.

MAQUET Cardiovascular was formed in 2003 when MAQUET, the world's leading medical technology company, combined its existing Cardiopulmonary business with Jostra's equipment and consumables for open heart surgery and Siemens Life Support Systems, which the publicly-listed Swedish GETINGE Group acquired in 2003. In 2008, MAQUET added the Cardiac Surgery and Vascular Interventions businesses acquired by GETINGE from Boston Scientific and Guidant. In 2009, it added the cardiac assist businesses that GETINGE acquired from Datascope. MAQUET Cardiovascular provides healthcare professionals with products in four business units: Cardiopulmonary (perfusion products), Cardiac Surgery (clampless beating heart and endoscopic vessel harvesting), Vascular Interventions (grafts for vascular surgery), and Cardiac Assist (intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation therapy).

About The MAQUET Group

The MAQUET Group is the global market leader for Medical Systems, focusing on the Operating Room (OR), Cath Lab, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Patient Transport. The integrated products of MAQUET are specially designed to deliver optimal clinical treatment and therapeutic applications within acute care hospitals. MAQUET provides innovative medical solutions from three Divisions:

• Cardiovascular with products for cardiac assist (intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation therapy), coronary artery bypass surgery, complex aortic surgery reconstruction, peripheral interventions and extracorporeal circulation.
• Critical Care for intensive care ventilators and anesthesia machines
• Surgical Workplaces for OR tables, lights and ceiling service units, flexible room design for OR, Cath Lab and ICU as well as digital OR integration.

MAQUET is a subsidiary of the publicly-listed Swedish GETINGE GROUP, a company with around $3 billion in revenue (2009 fiscal year) and 12,100 employees worldwide. In 2009 MAQUET itself generated revenue of around $1.5 billion. The company now has more than 5,000 employees in 36 international sales and service organizations, as well as a network of more than 250 distributors. Twelve manufacturing sites are located in six countries.

www.maquet.com

www.getingegroup.com

MAQUET – The Gold Standard.

SOURCE MAQUET Cardiovascular