Intraoperative angiography for quality control in MIDCAB and OPCAB.

We present our initial experience with intraoperative angiographic evaluation of coronary artery bypass grafts placed on the beating heart. Thirty-three grafts were investigated in 23 patients. Transfemoral angiography was performed using an OEC 9800 mobile C-arm. Spasm of the graft and/or target vessel was present in 11 grafts, two grafts were severely stenosed requiring surgical revision. In a third case an additional bypass graft was placed due to angiography findings. There was no hospital mortality and no significant perioperative myocardial ischemic event. All patients were free of angina 6 months postoperatively. Intraoperative angiography seems to reveal valuable information in beating heart coronary surgery.