Improved method for direct coronary grafting without CPB via anterolateral small thoracotomy

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Cardiac Procedures

Background:

• Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a standard treatment for coronary artery disease.
• Traditional CABG often requires cardiopulmonary bypass and sternotomy, associated with significant patient morbidity.
• Minimally invasive techniques aim to reduce surgical trauma and recovery time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an improved minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) technique.
• To facilitate anastomosis on the beating heart without cardiopulmonary bypass.
• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of this novel approach.

Main Methods:

• Development of a rigid and simple coronary stabilizer for on-pump beating heart anastomosis.
• Performance of left internal mammary artery to left anterior descending coronary artery anastomosis.
• Utilizing a small left anterolateral thoracotomy (8-10 cm) without cardiopulmonary bypass.

Main Results:

• Successful application of the technique in 20 primary coronary artery bypass grafting operations.
• Zero in-hospital mortality observed in the study cohort.
• Absence of any cardiac complications during the perioperative period.

Conclusions:

• The described technique offers a safe and effective minimally invasive approach for coronary artery bypass grafting.
• On-pump beating heart anastomosis using the coronary stabilizer is feasible and avoids cardiopulmonary bypass.
• This method holds promise for reducing surgical invasiveness and improving patient recovery in CABG procedures.