Platelet preservation in cardiac surgery using minimally invasive extracorporeal circulation versus optimized cardiopulmonary bypass.

Background: Minimally invasive extracorporeal circulation (MiECC) is employed as a strategy to attenuate the physiologic disturbance caused by cardiopulmonary bypass. The aim of this study was to compare the coagulation profile of MiECC to an optimized conventional extracorporeal circuit (OpECC) with regards to platelet function, rotational thromboelastometry and blood product usage.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of coronary artery bypass grafting operations using either MiECC or OpECC was performed at a single institution.