Rationale of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting for left main trunk disease.
OBJECTIVE
Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) remains controversial in patients with left main trunk (LMT) disease because of a concern about the ability to tolerate hemodynamic instability. This study examined the safety of OPCAB for LMT disease compared with conventional coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).


METHODS
Between April 1997 and December 2002, 257 consecutive patients with LMT stenosis who underwent CABG were enrolled. There were 98 patients who received CABG with the aid of cardiopulmonary bypass (CCAB group), and 159 patients who received OPCAB (OPCAB group).


RESULTS
There was no patient who converted to on-pump intraoperatively due to hemodynamic instability. Both intraoperative blood loss and blood transfusion incidence were lower in the OPCAB group. Postoperative course was similar, however, pulmonary complications were less observed postoperatively in the OPCAB group. No hypoperfusion syndrome was seen postoperatively in both groups. The average number of anastomosis was 3.2+/-1.1 in the CCAB group and 3.2+/-1.0 in the OPCAB group (p=0.645). Total arterial OPCAB with an aorta no-touch technique was achieved in 142 patients (89.3%) in OPCAB group. Postoperative angiography was performed in 95 patients in CCAB (96.9%), and in 141 patients in OPCAB (89.8%). Although graft patency of arterial grafts was good in both groups (100% in CCAB and 98.3% in OPCAB), saphenous vein graft patency was slightly lower in both groups (93.4% in CCAB and 76.5% in OPCAB) compared with arterial grafts.


CONCLUSIONS
OPCAB allows a safe and effective treatment of LMT disease.
Fukushima
Satsuki
S
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, National Cardiovascular Center, Osaka, Japan.
Kobayashi
Junjiro
J
Tagusari
Osamu
O
Bando
Ko
K
Niwaya
Kazuo
K
Nakajima
Hiroyuki
H
Ishida
Michiko
M
Kitamura
Soichiro
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014654:Vascular Patency