Reply to Letter to the Editor

Comments on “Comparison between Off-Pump and On-Pump Beating Heart Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting”

I am very honored to review the comment on our article. This comment is very practical and useful to add more information.

Certainly, the off-pump technique with a cannula may be useful as an alternative option to increase the safety of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, the comment that verticalization of the heart to perform anastomoses to the circumflex artery (Cx) during on-pump beating heart coronary artery bypass grafting (ONBHCABG) is limited by the right atrial cannula may be controversial. In our experience, we do not have a problem with anastomosis of Cx by cutting and loosening the right mediastinal pleura. Also, parallel placement of the right atrial cannula to the superior vena cava and ascending aorta may be useful during the procedure. As shown in our article, the numbers of grafts are larger in ONBHCAB than in off-pump CABG in our experience. Therefore, it may be controversial whether ONBHCABG leads to less revascularization.

Publication History

Received: 29 January 2024

Accepted: 12 February 2024

Article published online:
16 April 2024