Ministernotomy for minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting

Background Through a ministernotomy ＂J shaped approach, left internal mammary artery （LIMA） bypass grafting to the left anterior descending artery （LAD） can be performed safely off-pump. To achieve a complete revascularization, percutaneous coronary interventions （PCI） with drug eluting stent implantation to other coronary arteries was used. We reported outcomes of the treatment of multivessel coronary artery disease with minimally invasive coronary artery bypass （MICAB） and PCI. Methods Between January 2009 and Dec 2012, 14 patients （11 males, 3 females, mean age was 64.8 _ 10.1 years. Two-vessel disease account for 35.7% （5/14） of these patients, three-vessel disease 64.2% （9/14） （Table 1）. All patients underwent a minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting via mini-sternotomy ＂J＂ shaped approach. Seven patients were followed by PCI, 7 for obtuse marginal circumflex, 5 for right coronary artery （RCA）. Angiographic assessment of graft patency was performed in all patients during the PCI procedure. The clinical follow-up period lasts from 11-24 months. Results The in-hospital mortality was 0%. There was neither conversion to a full median sternotomy nor intraoperative complications. Ventilation time was 6.6 ＋_ 4.1 h. Blood loss ranged 341 ＋_ 78.8 mL. ICU stay ranged 22.3 _ 12.8 h. Hospital postoperative stay lasted for 6.5 ＋ 1.6 days. Prior to PCI patients showed 100% patent left internal mammary artery. One patient had mediastinitis （Tables 2-3）. Rate of freedom from cardiac reintervention during the follow-up period was 92.8% （13/14）. Conclusions The inferior J-shaped sternotomy is simple, reproducible, and the safest technique for performing minimally invasive coronary bypass surgery. MICAB ＋ PCI is also safe, feasible and efficacious.

Hybrid minimally invasive coronary artery revascularization

Background Hybrid coronary revascularization （HCR） is an altemative coronary revascularization strategy that combines a minimally invasive, survival advantage of the left internal mammary artery （LIMA） -left anterior descending （LAD） coronary artery bypass with less-invasive percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI） to non-LAD coronary lesions by using drug-eluting stents. We report our experience of hybrid minimally invasive approach in 15 patients. Methods From December 2012 to October 2013, 15 patients underwent revascularization of the left anterior descending artery through minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting （MIDCAB）. All patients by endoscopic assist beating heart coronary artery bypass grafting. Seven patients were scheduled for a hybrid procedure. Percutaneous coronary intervention of non- LAD was performed 3 to 5 days preoperatively. Demographic data, perioperative outcome, and annual follow-up were obtained from all the patients. Results In-hospital mortality was 6.67%. The rate of conversion to full median sternotomy was 13.3%. Ventilation time was 6.9 ± 5.1 h. Blood loss volume was 241 ± 67.8 mL. ICU stay was 21.3 ± 10.8 h. Hospital postoperative stay lasted for 7.5 ± 1.3 days. Prior to PCI patients showed 100% patent LIMA （Tables 3 and 4）. A mean follow-up was 8.5 months. One year graft patency rate was 100% （8/8 patients for 254-slice tomography）. Two patients required reintervention. Conclusions Minimally invasive hybrid coronary revascularization is a safe, feasible and efficacious approach with good results and should be performed in selected patients by surgeons with experience in minimally invasive bypass surgery plus collaboration with cardiologists, eluting stents.