Perioperative outcomes in minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass versus off-pump coronary artery bypass with sternotomy

INTRODUCTION: Surgical treatment of isolated left anterior descending coronary artery disease can be performed with either minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass via a left anterior thoracotomy (MIDCAB) or off-pump coronary artery bypass via a median sternotomy (OPCAB). AIM: To compare the perioperative outcomes of patients undergoing MIDCAB or OPCAB surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients who underwent either MIDCAB or OPCAB for isolated left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery disease between October 2013 and December 2015 were retrospectively evaluated. Operations were carried out by the same surgical team. Preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative data of the patients were recorded for analyses. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients (7 females, 16 males) underwent MIDCAB surgery, and 24 patients (4 female, 20 males) underwent OPCAB surgery. The two groups were comparable regarding preoperative patient characteristics. Duration of mechanical ventilation (5.1 ±0.7 h vs. 6.6 ±0.9 h), intensive care unit stay (19.4 ±2.5 h vs. 45.8 ±5.4 h) and hospital stay (4.3 ±0.4 days vs. 5.6 ±0.8 days) were significantly shorter in the MIDCAB group (p < 0.01). Patients in the OPCAB group required significantly more blood transfusions (1.83 ±0.38 units vs. 0.17 ±0.38 units) and fresh frozen plasma use (2.33 ±0.96 units vs. 0.69 ±0.76 units) (p < 0.01). Conversion to sternotomy was not required in the MIDCAB group. There was no mortality, conversion to cardiopulmonary bypass or serious complication in either group. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that the MIDCAB technique is more advantageous than the OPCAB technique in the treatment of patients with a critical LAD lesion.