My husband underwent double by-pass. After surgery he was brought to an ICU room and after around 3 hours he started to bleed. He was brought back into the operating room where he had another surgery and was given 5 units of blood. The surgeon informed us that a clamp, where the attached the graft from the vein in his leg, popped off or opened?? We thought they stitched the vein, but we asked how this could have happened. All they said is that it could happen. Well he later told us that it was only the second time in 6 years this occured. We came close to losing him! Has anyone ever heard of or expierened these so called CLAMPS??
Thankyou

sued, (good name!:D)

I too, have always thought that all the attachments of culled arteries and veins into the cardiac circulation were made with tiny stitches. I have never heard of clamps being used instead.

I have a thought though. Since MANY clamps are used during the procedure on the vessels that are harvested in the arms, legs, and chest, THESE must, of course, be clamped shut at both ends of the cut after removing a section for the graft. Is it posssible that it's one of the harvested vessel remnants sprang it's clamp and that's what they are referring to as the source of the major bleed?

Thankyou so much for replying to me. It sounds like that makes more sense. It might have been a clamp they used to clamp off a vein or an artery?? I just wanted to see if anyone heard of this before we talk to the surgeons. We haven't got a straight answer yet but we will find out more hopefully Aug 10th is when we go talk to them.
Thankyou for your response.