The impact of incomplete revascularization on survival in minimal invasive off-pump coronary artery surgery: a propensity score analysis of 1,149 cases.

Background: Minimally invasive concepts are increasingly influential in modern cardiac surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of completeness of revascularization on clinical outcomes and overall survival in minimally invasive, thoracoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated a consecutive series of 1,149 patients who underwent minimally invasive off-pump CABG with single, double, or triple-vessel revascularization between 2007 and 2018.

Minimally invasive strategies of surgical coronary artery revascularization for the aging population.

Background: The increasing prevalence of elderly or frail patients with severe coronary disease, who are not suitable for interventional coronary revascularization, necessitates the exploration of alternative treatment options. A less invasive approach, such as minimally-invasive off-pump coronary-artery-bypass (MICS-CABG) grafting through mini-thoracotomy, which avoids both extracorporeal circulation and sternotomy, may be more appropriate for this patient population. This study, a retrospective, monocentric analysis, aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes of these patients.

Concomitant intra-atrial excision of the left atrial appendage during robotic-assisted minimally invasive cardiac surgery.

Objective: Surgical closure of the left atrial appendage (LAA) in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing cardiac surgery can decrease the risk of stroke and thromboembolism and should therefore be considered. In minimally invasive, thoracoscopic, or robotic-assisted mitral valve surgery, however, external procedures such as clip application or epicardial resection are not feasible due to anatomic limitations and the reduced size of the access port. Internal suture closing techniques bear the risk of recurrent LAA reperfusion, so far.

Robotically assisted mitral valve surgery-experience during the restart of a robotic program in Germany.

Background: Following the first robotic-assisted mitral valve operations in Paris and Leipzig, the era of this innovative technique expired after a few years in Germany. At that time, the main arguments against robotic surgery within the German cardiac surgical community were low cost effectiveness and operative time utilization. Encouraged by favorable results, we re-started our robotic-assisted cardiac program as the first and only center in Germany in 2019.

Off-pump versus on-pump redo coronary artery bypass grafting: A propensity score analysis of long-term follow-up.

Objective: Redo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is associated with an increased early mortality reported up to 16%. The aim of this study was to analyze the early and long-term results after redo CABG with special focus on the feasibility and safety of the off-pump technique in the setting of a high-volume off-pump CABG center.

Methods: From January 2006 to June 2015, isolated redo CABG was performed in 304 patients (179 = on-pump redo CABG, 125 = off-pump redo CABG).