The choice of on- or off-pump coronary bypass grafting--a surgeon's dilemma.

Background: Off-pump coronary bypass grafting (OPCAB) is a routine method of heart revascularization. This study was designed to compare the results of OPCAB and ONCAB performed by a single surgeon at our institution over a 3-year period.

Methods: The study enrolled 345 patients undergoing elective myocardial revascularization procedures, of which 173 (50.