[The surgical technique of heart displacement during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting in the exposure of the anastomotic site of posterior descending artery]

Abstract

Heart displacement during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) is necessary to expose the anastomotic site. However, such displacement causes hemodynamic deterioration especially in the exposure of the circumflex branches and posterior descending artery (PDA). In this study we present two different cardiac positioning for the exposure of the anastomotic site of PDA. To expose the mid-portion of PDA the heart is vertically displaced by fixing the suction cup of the heart positioner on apex. To expose the proximal portion of PDA the suction cup is attached on the acute margin of the right ventricle (off apex). By using these 2 different techniques properly, hemodynamic deterioration can be avoided during OPCAB for PDA.