Background: The purpose of the study was to evaluate our surgical experience and midterm results with single vessel axillocoronary bypass grafting on beating heart.

Methods: Five operations were carried out via left anterior minithoracotomy, making it a typical axillocoronary bypass procedure. The axillocoronary bypass grafting was performed on patients with significant coronary artery disease who exhibited a severely atherosclerotic ascending aorta, severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, serious walk (orthopedic) disorder and low cardiac ejection fraction.

Results: Axillocoronary bypass grafting was carefully performed and no technical problems were encountered intraoperatively in all patients. The mean postoperative stay in the intensive care unit was 22.75±0.95 hours, and mean hospital stay was 7.3±1.0 days. No cases of brachial plexus injury, neurologic deficit or wound infection occurred. No cases needed vasopressors or intraaortic balloon pump. There was one mortality. Graft patency since surgery was 24.0±9.4 months and the mean two-year survival rate was 60%.

Conclusion: Although our series is small, low graft patency results at mid-term make this surgical method look not too promising for use.

Keywords : Axillocoronary bypass; beating heart; minimal invasive direct coronary artery bypass; graft patency