title: The superiority of pulmonary function after minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sendai Cardiovascular Center, 21-1 Hondamachi, Izumi-ku, Sendai 981-3107, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohkado
authors.forename: Kiyoharu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Hayao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakatani
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gomi
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saegusa
mesh_terms: 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