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Use of the U‐clip for microvascular anastomosis
Author(s) -
Taylor Jesse,
Katz Ryan,
Singh Navin
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
microsurgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.031
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1098-2752
pISSN - 0738-1085
DOI - 10.1002/micr.20286
Subject(s) - medicine , anastomosis , microsurgery , fibrous joint , surgery , microvascular surgery , tying , anatomy , computer science , operating system
Microvascular anastomosis is a demanding skill requiring technical excellence and a thorough knowledge of anatomy and physiology. Every suture placed in a microvascular anastomosis should be considered critical as each has the potential to compromise the delicate reconstruction. As such, any device that can facilitate microvascular suture placement deserves thorough evaluation. The U‐clip (Coalescent Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA) is such a device in that it eliminates the often time consuming process of tying knots. We evaluated use of the U‐clip in microvascular anastomosis of a 1.5 mm artery. We found the U‐clip to offer some advantages including ease of use, traditional feel of directed suture placement (as compared to couplers), and elimination of time needed for knot tying. Its shortcomings include size (in diameter, the “pop‐off” section of the device appears larger than standard 8‐0 suture), the significant force required to “pop‐off” the device and difficulty removing the device. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. Microsurgery, 2006.