Background: There is a growing interest in cardiac surgery towards minimally invasive approach to coronary bypass operations without cardiopulmonary bypass.
Patients and methods: From March 1995 to March 1997, 41 patients underwent a single left internal mammary artery (LIMA) to the left anterior descending artery (LAD) coronary grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass through a small left anterior thoracotomy (MIDCABG). The mean age was 61.2+/-8.7 years (range 43-77 years), 28 patients. were male (68.2%) and the redo rate was 4.8% (2/41). In all patients the coronary artery disease involved the LAD, which was occluded in seven patients (17.1%). Thirty-eight patients (96.2%) selected for MIDCABG had a monovascular disease on LAD not suitable for percutaneous coronary angioplasty; two (4.8%) a bivascular disease, and one (2.4%) a trivascular disease. Skin incision was performed in the 4th anterior intercostal space from the left parasternal line for a 10.5 cm length on average. The LIMA harvesting was partially video-assisted by thoracoscopy.
Results: The LAD temporary occlusion was achieved with two double 5/0 polypropilene round-LAD sutures. The mean LAD ischemic time was 22+/-8 min (range 4-35 min). No thoracotomy procedure was changed into a sternotomy approach. We had one (2.4%) perioperative AMI; two patients (4.8%) were reoperated for bleeding. All patients underwent a postoperative angiographic reinvestigation within 1 month after surgery. All anastomoses were perfectly patent but two (4.8%). One patient was reoperated via a sternotomy access recycling the LIMA graft, the other one underwent successful PTCA. All patients also underwent an early and mid-term (6 months after surgery) echo-Doppler study of the LIMA flow and patency. At follow-up, performed at a mean of 8.7 months (range 1-23) after discharge, all patients were alive; no one experienced recurrence of angina. All patients also performed a mid-term negative treadmill stress test.
Conclusions: MIDCABG is, in selected patients, reliable and safe, and offers encouraging early and mid-term clinical results.