Left thoracotomy approach for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting surgery: 15 years of experience in 2500 consecutive patients

OBJECTIVES Our goal was to describe the experience at 2 centres with off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting using a left thoracotomy. METHODS From January 2002 to December 2017, a total of 2528 consecutive patients (578 women, mean age 62.39.1years) were operated on using this technique. Data were collected prospectively and analysed retrospectively. RESULTS There were no conversions to median sternotomy and 6 patients (0.2%) were converted to on-pump CABG. The mean number of grafts per patient was 2.8 +/- 0. 9. The 30-day mortality rate was 1.0% (25 patients). Most patients were extubated in the operating theatre (97.3%), and 47 patients (1.9%) needed re-exploration for bleeding. Seven patients (0.3%) experienced a cerebrovascular event; 4 (0.3%) had a postoperative myocardial infarction; and 84 (3.4%) had new-onset atrial fibrillation. A total of 1510 patients (61.1%) were discharged from the hospital in the first 48h after surgery. Long-term survival rates were 98.8%, 93.6% and 69.1% at 1, 5 and 10years, respectively (central image). During the follow-up period, 60 patients (2.9%) were re-examined for recurrence of angina with a new coronary angiogram; of those, 24 (1.2%) required percutaneous coronary intervention and 11 (0.5%) had redo surgery. CONCLUSIONS A left thoracotomy is a safe alternative to a median sternotomy for coronary artery bypass grafting on the beating heart, with low early complications and good mid- and long-term results.