title: Minimally invasive internal thoracic artery harvest: the hybrid approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Safe harvesting of the left internal thoracic artery is a difficult problem during minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass. A complete internal thoracic artery dissection through a limited approach is technically demanding and time consuming and different techniques have been proposed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on our experience, the different surgical approaches and technical considerations are reviewed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A hybrid technique using dissection under direct vision and completed by thoracoscopy is discussed and proposed as our preferred technique of internal thoracic artery harvesting.
authors.affiliation: Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital, Caen, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Massetti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Babatasi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nataf
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhoyroo
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Le Page
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khayat
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008323:Mammary Arteries / Q000637:transplantation*; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D013906:Thoracoscopy; D014741:Video Recording