Connecticut medicine
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Connecticut medicine · Jun 1997
Preoperative pulmonary function tests do not predict outcome after coronary artery bypass.
To evaluate the utility of preoperative pulmonary function tests in predicting postoperative complications and lengths of stay after coronary artery bypass grafting. ⋯ Preoperative pulmonary function tests were not useful in predicting postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.
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Connecticut medicine · Mar 1997
Minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting: initial Connecticut experience.
We report the initial Connecticut experience with minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting. This procedure allows bypass grafting to the left anterior descending coronary artery utilizing the internal mammary artery as the conduit. The procedure is minimally invasive because it is performed through a mini-thoracotomy incision in the fourth anterior intercostal space and it is conducted without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass. ⋯ This minimally invasive procedure is expected to apply to a growing percentage of patients. The procedure, especially vis-à-vis angioplasty, may well offer the superior long-term patency of the mammary conduit achieved with a modest initial "investment" in hospital stay, costs of medical care, and discomfort and disability. A prospective, randomized trial comparing angioplasty and minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting is warranted.