title: Graft patency in off-pump and conventional coronary artery bypass grafting for treatment of triple vessel coronary disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare graft patency in off-pump and conventional coronary artery bypass grafting by using the transit time flow meter in the treatment of triple vessel coronary artery disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between June 2000 and April 2001, 60 patients with triple vessel coronary artery disease underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. They were divided into two groups: off-pump and conventional coronary artery bypass. All completed grafts were tested intraoperatively using Transit Time Flow Measurement (TTFM). Preoperative and postoperative variables of the two groups were also compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in sex, age, weight, acute or remote myocardial infarction, hypertension, diabetes and type of bypass grafts between the two groups. The number of bypass grafts and the assisted respiratory time of the off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) group were significantly less than those of the conventional coronary artery bypass grafting (CCABG) group. The flow and pulsatile index (PI) of the left anterior descending artery bypass grafts and the right coronary artery bypass grafts were not significantly different between the OPCAB and CCABG groups. The flow of OM in the CCABG group with the multiple anastomosis site of sequential grafts was higher than that in the OPCAB group. Diffused narrow coronary artery bypass grafts in both groups had less flow.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No significant differences in graft patency were observed in patients with triple vessel coronary artery disease who had undergone OPCAB or CCABG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Cardiovascular Institute, Fuwai Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100037, China.
authors.forename: Shengshou
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Xiaoqi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yunhu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged