Specialists from the S. M. Kirov Military Medical Academy have patented a new method for removing metal fragments from the heart muscle while the heart is still beating, without the use of a heart-lung machine, according to the corresponding document, a copy of which TASS has obtained.
According to the patent description, the new technique is intended to replace the traditional approach, which requires stopping the heart, connecting the patient to a heart-lung machine, systemic heparinization, and prolonged cardiac resuscitation.
“The heart is accessed via a sternotomy or thoracotomy. If the splinters are located superficially, their precise localization is ensured by a neodymium magnet placed in a 1/4-inch silicone tube for ease of use and sterilization. If the foreign body penetrates deeper into the myocardium, it can be located by intraoperative fluoroscopy,” the document states.
