Left anterior descending coronary artery bypass grafting through minimal thoracotomy.
BACKGROUND
In recent years, minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting has emerged as a valid tool for revascularization in a select group of patients with severe lesions of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Here we report the clinical results using two devices designed by us to facilitate the harvesting of the left internal mammary artery up to its origin and to occlude and stabilize the left anterior descending coronary artery while placing the anastomosis.


METHODS
From January 1996 to January 1998, 122 patients underwent minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting in the Department of Cardiac Surgery, Favaloro Foundation. One hundred twelve patients received a single left internal mammary artery-left anterior descending coronary artery bypass graft, and in 10 patients, an additional bypass graft was performed.


RESULTS
Most patients were discharged on day 2 or 3 after the procedure. Three patients (2.5%) had a perioperative myocardial infarction. The overall hospital mortality rate was 3.3% (4 patients).


CONCLUSIONS
The combination of team experience, more careful dissection of the left internal mammary artery up to its origin, and use of the stabilizer-occluder and interrupted suture technique for the anastomosis has markedly improved our results.
Weinschelbaum
E
E
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Institute of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery, Favaloro Foundation, Buenos Aires, Argentina. weins001@ffinme.edu.ar
Rodríguez
C
C
Cabello
M L
ML
Dos Santos
A
A
Machain
A
A
Bertolotti
A
A
Fraguas
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000379:methods