OPCAB surgery with an alternative retraction method : a single-centre experience

Background: The off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) technique, which is used in order to avoid the side effects of cardiopulmonary bypass, is often questioned in terms of its efficacy and safety. Also, in this technique, surgeon experience plays a very important role. In this study, we share the results of our 606 OPCAB cases with an alternative retraction technique.Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of OPCAB operations performed between January 2014 and December 2018. Patients were evaluated and operated on by a surgical team led by an experienced OPCAB surgeon with over 200 prior OPCAB surgeries.Results: The study included 606 OPCAB cases, and 21.8% (132) were female and 78.2% (474) were male. Our mortality rate was 1.7% (n = 10) and only two patients suffered a cerebrovascular incident. A statistically significant difference was found between pre-operative and six-month postoperative left ventricular ejection fraction values (p Conclusion: The OPCAB technique can be performed with similar results to on-pump surgery when conducted by an experienced surgeon, as in our study.