Multivessel distal sutureless off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting procedure using magnetic connectors.

Proximal anastomotic devices for beating heart coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) have been developed to avoid ascending aortic manipulation. Distal anastomotic devices may become an extremely useful tool to assist in enabling minimally invasive (robotic) multivessel CABG. As a transition phase toward this ultimate goal we have been using a distal anastomotic device for the left internal mammary artery-left anterior descending artery (LIMA-LAD) anastomosis.

Endoscopic mitral valve repair: feasible, reproducible, and durable.

Objective: We sought to document the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of performing mitral valve repair using a totally endoscopic approach.

Methods: Between February 1997 and October 1, 2001, 187 patients underwent totally endoscopic mitral valve repair at our institution. The mean age was 60.