Thoracoscope-Assisted Coronary Bypass Surgery Via a Small Thoracotomy

Traditionally coronary bypass operations are performed by extracorporeal circulation methods and by sternotomy. An alternative way to revascularize coronary vessels is described, using arterial conduits without extracorporeal circulation and via small thoracotomy. A thoracoscope is introduced into the thorax to assist in the harvesting of the left internal mammary artery. In our clinic, this technique was used to revascularize 5 patients from February 1996 to May 1996. All of them received the LIMA on the LAD coronary artery. Four patients were operated on because of unstable angina, three patients underwent previous PTC procedure on the LAD. There was neither perioperative mortality nor morbidity of myocardial infarction.