We have devised a simple sound * which facilitates the pull-through technique of long bypass grafts. The instrument is 29 in. long, and has a diameter of 7/16 in. Its shaft is made of RT-12 stainless steel flexible tubing. The ends of the instrument are made of solid brass, and are conical in shape (Figure).
The instrument has the following desirable features:
1. The shaft is sufficiently rigid to enable the operator to guide the instrument through the desired path, and is flexible enough to permit the point to deviate through the natural muscular planes.
2. The ends of the instrument are smooth and bullet-shaped, facilitating its passage, and making it unlikely that any large blood vessel will be torn as the instrument advances.
3. The ends are perforated so that the graft is easily attached to the sound for the pull-through.
4. The diameter of the instrument is wide enough