Tungsten-rhenium suture needles with improved properties for coronary artery bypass graft surgery

• Published in: Journal of biomedical materials research. Part B, Applied biomaterials Vol. 94B; no. 2; pp. 493 - 500
• Main Authors: Cichocki Jr, Frank R., Maurer, Robert E., Bar, S. Neil
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.08.2010; Wiley-Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Anastomosis; Arteries; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical materials; Blood vessels; Bypasses; calcification; cardiovascular; Carotid arteries; Carotid artery; Coronary artery; Coronary Artery Bypass - instrumentation; Coronary vessels; Heart diseases; Heart surgery; Humans; Hypodermic needles; Materials research; Materials science; mechanical properties; Medical sciences; metal (alloys); Needles; Needles - standards; Reproduction; Rhenium; Rhenium base alloys; Stainless steel; Stainless steels; Stiffness; Surgery; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the heart; Surgical implants; suture; Sutures; Synthetic rubber; Technology. Biomaterials. Equipments; Tungsten; Veins & arteries; Tungsten alloy; Mechanical properties; Cardiovascular disease; Suturation; cardiovascular; Coronary heart disease; suture; Treatment; Coronary artery bypass; Surgery; Needle; Biomaterial; Medical device; calcification; Comparative study; Rhenium alloy; Biomedical engineering; metal (alloys)
• ISSN: 1552-4973; 1552-4981; 1552-4981
• DOI: 10.1002/jbm.b.31661

Suture needles are essential instruments for performing blood vessel anastomosis in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgeries. Exceptional needle performance is needed now as never before because of the increasing prevalence of elderly patients with advanced stages of coronary disease and calcified tissue. The various properties that affect the performance of suture needles used in CABG surgery are reviewed and recent progress towards improving needle performance through the use of tungsten‐rhenium alloys and novel lubricous needle coatings is presented. Substantial enhancement of properties beyond those exhibited by commercially available stainless steel suture needles has been made, including an approximate 40% increase in strength, 100% increase in stiffness, and superior multiple pass penetration performance in both synthetic rubber media and human cadaver carotid arteries (p < 0.01). © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2010