[Coronary revascularization with extracorporeal circulation, aortic clamping or OPCAB: does the method's choice influence the results?].
OBJECTIVE
Off pump CABG-OPCAB is the most recent development in coronary surgery and is aimed to avoid the complications of extracorporeal circulation and to compete with interventional cardiology. The objective of this study is to compare 3 methods for cardiac support for CABG.


METHODS
Between February 2001 and December 2002 ninety consecutive patients were operated by the same surgeon and the same team with the following techniques: extracorporeal circulation (CEC) and ischaemic arrest, CEC and beating heart, and OPCAB.


RESULTS
There were no difference in mortality and morbidity for the 3 groups of patients. The OPCAB group showed less ventilation time, less blood transfusion needs and shorter hospital stays than the other 2 groups of patients that showed no differences between each other.


CONCLUSIONS
OPCAB is safe and showed slight advantage over CEC supported groups but the number of grafts per patient was smaller.
Coelho
P
P
Unidade de Cirurgia Cardíaca, Centro do Coração dos Hospitais CUF, Lisboa.
Gomes
V
V
Silva
N D
ND
Fragata
I
I
Ramos
J S
JS
Fragata
J
J
D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump / Q000379:methods; D005112:Extracorporeal Circulation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged