[Off-pump coronary bypass surgery: pros and cons]

Off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery is a well established surgical option for patients candidate to coronary artery bypass. Current evidence suggests that there are no differences between off-pump and on-pump coronary surgery in terms of major perioperative outcomes such as perioperative mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, and renal failure, whereas off-pump coronary surgery seems to reduce some minor complications like atrial fibrillation, transfusion requirements, and postoperative hospital stay. However, some recent papers suggest that graft patency may be lower for grafts performed with the off-pump technique. In this paper we review current knowledge about pros and cons of off-pump and on-pump coronary bypass surgery.