Is it time to adopt beating-heart coronary artery bypass grafting? A review of literature.

Avoiding the morbidity of cardiopulmonary bypass should theoretically reduce the incidence of organ dysfunction and lead to improved patient outcomes. Recently, cardiac mechanical stabilization techniques were developed, facilitating on-pump CABG (OPCAB). The use of CPB may influence the economic outcome, while maintaining quality of care and patient satisfaction. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (CCTR), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), Science Citation Index (SCI), Current Contents, NHS Economic Evaluation Database (NEED), and International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA) databases were searched from the date of their inception to the end of March 2008, using the search terms off-pump, minimally invasive, beating heart, coronary artery bypass, and their variants. Off-pump revascularization offers a safe, cost-effective alternative to conventional coronary revascularization with cardiopulmonary bypass (CABG) and cardioplegic arrest.