BACKGROUND:Anterior wall myocardial revascularization through a left anterior minithoracotomy is an increasingly accepted procedure. Technical failure at the anastomotic site, promoting persistent or recurrent angina, is known to occur and may be underrecognized. This report summarizes the incidence of technical failure in an initial clinical experience and describes potential causes of early postoperative complications. METHODS:Between December 1995 and May 1996, 15 patients underwent left internal mammary artery-to-left anterior descending artery revascularization without extracorporeal circulation. The surgical indication was single-vessel coronary disease in all patients. We exposed the left anterior descending artery target site through a 10-cm left anterior fourth space thoracotomy. The fourth costal cartilage was resected and the left internal mammary artery was harvested under direct visualization. Two 4-0 polypropylene sutures snared in tourniquets proximal and distal to the anastomotic site were used to obtain a bloodless field and stabilization of the left anterior descending artery. RESULTS:All patients had procedures initially deemed successful based on disappearance of angina or postoperative transthoracic Doppler examination of the internal mammary artery 3 to 5 days postoperatively. However, 3 patients presented with recurrent angina at 2, 6, and 8 weeks. Angiography or direct visualization at operation demonstrated the technical complication (stenosis at the anastomotic site in 2 and snare injury in the native vessel in 1). Two patients required reoperation. CONCLUSIONS:Initial results with minimally invasive coronary bypass grafting have generated great enthusiasm worldwide, but there is no consensus on how the procedure should be performed. These results suggest that a nonstabilized anastomosis results in an unacceptable failure rate. Furthermore, sutures encircling the left anterior descending artery should not be used for vessel stabilization as injury of the artery may occur.