Objective: To present the experience with myocardial revascularization by Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass Graft via left anterior minithoracotomy without extracorporeal circulation (MIDCAB). Material and Methods: 46 patients were submitted to MIDCAB from February 1997 to January 1998. Everyone has obstructive disease in the proximal portion of the interventricular descending artery (IDA). The technique consisted of a small transverse incision, of about 8.0 cm, traverse, in the left infra-mammary area, allowing good visibility and easy access for dissection of the thoracic internal artery (TIA) and anastomosis with IDA. The evaluation of the results was made by clinical, laboratory and angiographic control. Results: The mean duration of operation was 2 hours with about 18 hours of permanence in ICU and 5 days of maximum hospital stay. There were no intra-operative deaths. There was a case of sudden death after discharge (15º post-operative day). The patients followed did not refer anginal pain. Four cases of TIA occlusion and 2 AIA stenoses were documented, probably secondary to vessel banding during the procedure. There was no correlation between troponin-I blood levels and occlusion of the graft. It was verified that the levels of troponin-I in patients submitted to MIDCAB were significantly lower than in the conventional procedure. There was no significant clinical complication. Conclusions: MIDCAB has proved to be a useful procedure with low morbidity and mortality, with the possibility of shorter hospital stay and consequent lower cost. The low Troponin-I blood levels indicate reduced myocardial injury during the procedure.
Myocardial revascularization; Surgical procedures