METHODS: From August 1997 to May 2001, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) was performed in 250 consecutive patients with multivessel disease. Ages ranged from 38 to 83 years (mean-age 59.9 years) and 62% of the patients were males. The main surgical indication was chronic coronary insufficiency (82%). The surgical approach was through median sternotomy in all patients. RESULTS: Three (1.2%) patients needed cardiopulmonary bypass support. In the 247 remaining patients, we performed 592 grafts (mean 2.4 grafts/patient). The left internal thoracic artery was used in 198 (80.1%) patients, the right internal thoracic artery in 5 (2%) patients and the saphenous vein in all patients (100%). The most frequently revascularized coronary arteries were the anterior interventricular branch (89%) and the obtuse marginal (53%). The mortality rate was 4% and the main primary cause of death was myocardial infarction (1.2%). Twenty-three (9.3%) patients had major complications in the postoperative period. The mean hospital stay was 7.7 days. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, OPCAB can be safely performed in patients with multivessel disease, with low rates of postoperative complications.
myocardial revascularization; Myocardial Ischemia; Extracorporeal circulation
