 |
Hybrid Revascularization Effective for Left Main Coronary Blockages | |
| March 17th, 2010 | |
The left main coronary artery provides most of the blood to the heart, and current guidelines call for patients with blockages in this artery to undergo bypass surgery. Hybrid revascularization is a combination of coronary artery bypass surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Emory physicians have been performing these procedures "off-pump" in a minimally invasive fashion, without breaking open the chest. This technique is also known as "endo-ACAB" (endoscopic atraumatic coronary artery bypass).
Rab described the Emory approach as a "best of both worlds strategy": minimally invasive off-pump left internal mammary artery (LIMA) graft, plus a stent placed via ultrasound from the left main to the left circumflex artery. For these patients, the average ICU stay was 1.1 +- 0.4 days. Fifteen patients had hybrid surgery and PCI in the same hospitalization and the rest had the two procedures a few days apart. All but one patient received a drug eluting stent. Two had re-exploration with blood transfusion. No major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events were reported in the hospital or after 30 days. The authors concluded: "Hybrid revascularization for left main coronary artery stenosis appears to be a safe and feasible procedure in selected patients and may preserve the survival advantage imparted by the left internal mammary artery graft to the left anterior descending artery. A multicenter trial to assess intermediate and long term outcomes of this form of hybrid revascularization is warranted." Emory, Columbia University and Albert Einstein College of Medicine recently received a $1 million "Challenge" grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to plan a large-scale clinical trial of hybrid revascularization. Emory's investigator on this grant is John Puskas, MD, professor of surgery and associate chief, division of cardiothoracic surgery at Emory University School of Medicine. Reference (a larger study of 91 patients who had grafts to the left anterior descending artery): T.A. Vassiliades et al. Clinical Outcomes After Hybrid Coronary Revascularization Versus Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass: A Prospective Evaluation Innovations: Technology and Techniques in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery: 4, 299-306 (2009). Contact: Jennifer Johnson 404-727-5696 (Office) 404-227-3683 (Mobile) | |
| This article is relevant to the following subject areas | |
| •Medicine •Cardiology •Biology | |
| Copy & Share this link http://www.sciguru.com/newsitem/1966/Hybrid-Revascularization-Effective-for-Left-Main-Coronary-Blockages/ |
| SciGuru.com: "Science For All". Copyright Sciguru.com © All rights reserverd (2009-present). SciGuru.com is an online source for news and information in all areas of sciences. Copy and reproduction of the contents, in full or in part, may include citation to SciGuru.com or the relevant page in SciGuru.com. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Related NewsCuts to Mississippi levees could build new land in sinking deltaWashington: Diverting sediment-rich water from the Mississippi River below ... Cell phone exposure may protect against Alzheimer's diseaseTampa, FL: The University of South Florida led study in mice indicates long... The 'sultan of slime': Biologist continues to be fascinated by organisms after nearly 70 years of stWhere others see dirt, John Bonner sees beauty. Where others see jumbled cl... Comparing Two Stroke Prevention Procedures - Surgery and Stenting Equally Safe and EffectiveA major new study of people at risk for stroke showed that two medical proc... |
 |
 |
 |
Recent Science News
Beware the smell of bitter almonds. Why do many food plants contain cyanide?
Study finds structural brain alterations in patients with irritable bowel syndrome
Excellence programs do not identify safest hospitals for bariatric surgery
Asteroid Impact in 2182?
Martian Dust Devil Whirls into Opportunity's View
Study: Weight issues move up need for walkers, canes, other devices
Two Catalysts Are Better Than One
Unraveling the Matrix to Improve Signal-processing Applications and Data-compression Schemes
Best hope for saving Arctic sea ice is cutting soot emissions, says Stanford researcher
More News