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 62.3 ± 9.1 years) 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 48 h after surgery. Long-term survival rates were 98.8%, 93.6% and 69.1% at 1, 5 and 10 years, 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.