title: Long-term results of the endoscopic atraumatic coronary artery bypass.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This retrospective study was undertaken to determine the long-term angiographic patency and clinical outcomes of the endoscopic atraumatic coronary artery bypass (endoACAB) procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between November 1997 and March 2005, 607 consecutive patients underwent an endoACAB consisting of (1) unilateral or bilateral manual, thoracoscopic internal mammary artery (IMA) harvesting, (2) creation of a needle-directed access port in the thoracic soft tissue (non-rib-spreading), (3) cardiac positioning and stabilization using port-based instrumentation, and (4) off-pump, direct-vision, hand-sewn anastomoses to the left anterior descending (LAD), diagonal, obtuse marginal, or main right coronary arteries, or a combination. Mean follow-up time was 18.0 +/- 16.0 months (range, 2.0 to 85.7 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The IMA was used to graft the LAD in all cases. A total of 721 anastomoses were constructed using 636 conduits. Thirty-day mortality was 1.0% (6/607). A total of 379 (62.4%) had coronary angiography after operation at a mean of 18.4 +/- 17.0 months. The overall patency for the LIMA to LAD was FitzGibbon A, 95.2% (324/340), and FitzGibbon A and B, 98.5% (335/340). At 5 years, event-free survival was 92% +/- 2.4%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical outcome and angiographic patency of grafting the LAD with the LIMA off pump through a non-rib-spreading incision compares favorably with the reported data of arrested heart grafting through a median sternotomy. The endoACAB offers an excellent alternative for patients with LAD disease as a stand-alone procedure, a multivessel grafting procedure in selected patients, or as part of a hybrid procedure in conjunction with a percutaneous intervention.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. thomas.vassiliades@emoryhealthcare.org
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Vassiliades
authors.forename: V Seenu
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Puskas
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Guyton
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency