The use of heparin bonded shunts for perfusion of the renal artery during resection of complex abdominal aortic aneurysms.

During resection of certain complicated aortic abdominal aneurysms, the circulation of the renal artery may require separate perfusion. To achieve this in a simplified manner, a heparin bonded shunt has been used for continuous perfusion of the kidney. This has been used in patients with a horseshoe kidney undergoing aortic aneurysmectomy; for intraoperative perfusion of a previously inserted saphenous vein to renal artery graft for renovascular hypertension and in simultaneous correction of an aortic aneurysm and insertion of a renal artery graft for hypertension. In each situation, the technique worked well with minimal heparinization and excellent results.