[Minimally invasive myocardial revascularization. Initial experience with myocardial revascularization without...

The authors present an account on the first phase of application of minimally invasive techniques of revascularization of the heart into clinical practice at their department. Since December 1994 to the end of January 1995 in selected 15 patients from a total of 240 patients with IHD 16 arterial and 8 venous grafts were sutured on the beating heart from median sternotomy. None of the patients died and none need reoperation. All patients are free from anginous complaints after operation and their clinical condition is satisfactory. Revascularization of the heart by means of arterial and venous grafts on the beating heart from median sternotomy is a technically reproducible method which enables us to elaborate further minimally invasive procedures for the treatment of IHD. The presented paper is a preliminary communication without claims of statistical validity of the achieved results.