Novel Approach to Maintaining Patency of an Abdominal Aortic Graft Required for Emergent Cannulation

A 32-year-old woman with end-stage heart failure and complex anatomy underwent placement of a vascular graft to facilitate arterial cannulation during planned heart transplantation. The procedure involved anastomosis of a prosthetic graft to the abdominal aorta. The vascular graft was plugged with a silicone Foley catheter containing a stopper to maintain patency. This novel approach was safe when performed by a multidisciplinary surgical team experienced in vascular and adult congenital cardiac surgical procedures.