The Early Clinical and Angiographic Outcome of Sequential Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting With the Off-Pump Technique
Objective
The emergence of the off-pump coronary artery bypass technique has made surgeons consider combining it with other techniques developed and learned with conventional coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass. One of these techniques is the construction of a sequential graft to bypass more than one coronary vessel. The purpose of this study is to review the outcome of combining sequential coronary artery bypass grafting with off-pump techniques.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed the records of 45 consecutive patients who underwent isolated coronary bypass surgery with off-pump and sequential grafting techniques at Harefield Hospital (Harefield, UK) between July 1999 and December 2000. The registry database, medical notes and charts were studied for preoperative and postoperative data of the patients. Ten patients consented and underwent early postoperative angiography to check the quality of the grafts and anastomoses.
Results
There were no deaths among the study patients. Morbidity consisted of atrial fibrillation in 6 patients (13.3%), leg wound infection in 2 patients (4.4%), and pleural effusion in 1 patient (2.2%). Early angiography of the 10 consenting patients revealed 10 patent sequential grafts (100%) with 20 satisfactory end-to-side and side-to-side anastomoses (100%).
Conclusion
The combination of sequential grafting and off-pump techniques is feasible, is safe, and provides good early clinical and angiographic outcomes.
From the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, National Heart and Lung Institute, Harefield Hospital, Harefield, United Kingdom.
Received for publication May 21, 2001; revisions requested July 9, 2001; revisions received July 17, 2001; accepted for publication July 23, 2001.
Address for reprints: Mr Mohamed Amrani, Senior Lecturer in Cardiac Surgery, Harefield Hospital, Harefield, Middlesex UB9 6JH, United Kingdom (E-mail: [email protected]).
