title: Hybrid coronary revascularization for the treatment of left main coronary artery disease in high-risk patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hybrid coronary revascularization is an alternative for treatment for high-risk patients with coronary artery disease. We evaluated the efficacy of staged hybrid coronary revascularization for the treatment of unprotected left main coronary artery disease in high-risk patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with left main or proximal left anterior descending coronary artery stenosis who are not good candidates for percutaneous coronary intervention and who had suitable lesions in the right coronary and circumflex arteries were considered for staged hybrid therapy if they had poor left ventricular functions (ejection fraction <0.40) and comorbid illnesses. From January 2008 through December 2010, 11 patients (8 men, 3 women; mean age: 66.1 ± 9.1 years) were treated with off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting combined with staged percutaneous coronary intervention. Nine patients had left main coronary artery stenosis together with circumflex or right coronary artery stenosis, and 2 patients had proximal left anterior descending artery stenosis and right coronary artery stenosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, procedure-related complications did not occur, and there was no in-hospital death. Coronary re-angiography after a median of 16 days revealed patent and functioning left internal mammarian artery grafts in all patients. Applying subsequent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and occasional stenting (n = 14), a total of 14 lesions were treated successfully. Procedure related complications did not occur. All patients remained angina-free, and no stress electrocardiographic changes were recorded.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our preliminary results indicate that a "staged hybrid" approach to the treatment of left main coronary artery disease in high-risk patients is safe and effective. Hybrid coronary revascularization enables complete revascularization and may be an alternative method of treating left main coronary artery disease in selected high-risk patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Kartal Kosuyolu Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. Alfdkr67@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fedakar
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taşar
authors.forename: Murat Bülen
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Rabus
authors.forename: Saleh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alsalehi
authors.forename: Mehmet Erdem
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Toker
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balkanay
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000379:methods*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment