The superiority of pulmonary function after minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass.
OBJECTIVE
We determined whether minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) leads to excellent postoperative pulmonary function, and which contributes more to this--minithoracotomy or avoidance of cardiopulmonary bypass.


METHODS
Pulmonary function 1 week before and 2 weeks after surgery was evaluated in 8 patients undergoing MIDCAB (Group M), 10 undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass (Group O), and 12 undergoing conventional coronary artery bypass grafting (Group C). Parameters were adjusted by their predicted values and postoperative values were expressed as a ratio to preoperative ones.


RESULTS
Only Group M maintained postoperative vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 second close to the preoperative level and thus, showed significantly better recovery than Groups O and C. No significant difference was seen between Groups O and C.


CONCLUSIONS
MIDCAB provides better recovery of pulmonary function early postoperatively than other procedures thanks to minithoracotomy rather than avoidance of cardiopulmonary bypass.
Ohkado
Akihiko
A
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sendai Cardiovascular Center, 21-1 Hondamachi, Izumi-ku, Sendai 981-3107, Japan.
Nakano
Kiyoharu
K
Nakatani
Hayao
H
Gomi
Akihiko
A
Sugiyama
Noboru
N
Saegusa
Naoki
N
D000368:Aged; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D013997:Time Factors