No-Touch Method for Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Abstract

We describe a simple no-touch method of coronary artery bypass grafting that facilitates anastomosis on the beating heart by means of a blower. This technique avoids clamping or occluding the target coronary artery. We successfully performed 22 distal anastomoses in 12 direct off-pump coronary artery bypass operations with no in-hospital mortality or cardiac complications. Two patients underwent a left anterolateral small thoracotomy for single-vessel disease and 10 had a median sternotomy for double-vessel disease. The technique provided a dry operative field and adequate exposure at the moment of suture.