A simple technique for aortic cannulation in organ donors with advanced aortic disease.

Cannulation of the abdominal aorta in organ donors with advanced arteriosclerotic disease or extensive trauma may be problematic owing to difficulty in securing a watertight tie around the diseased aorta, the danger of creating a false passageway in the aorta, and the risk of breaking off plaque particles that can advance into the arteries of donated organs. Cannulation problems can be avoided in these challenging donors by using a simplified technique for cannulation of the thoracic aorta in which a Foley catheter is passed down around the aortic arch, the balloon is inflated, and cool flushing is initiated.