[Eighty cases of minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting]

Between March 1996 and November 1997, 80 patients with a mean age of 70 years (45-89) have undergone minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting via anterior minithoracotomy or subxiphoid incision with left internal thoracic artery and right epigastric artery using local coronary occlusion on a beating heart. Cardiac-related hospital mortality was 2.5% (2/80). Routine angiographic assessment of anastomotic patency showed an overall patency. rate of 94.6%, but demonstrated the severe stenosis at the anastomotic site in 8 patients. Further study is required to establish the efficacy of minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting and combination therapy with PTCA.