An analysis was made of the results in a group of 419 patients that underwent myocardial revascularization without cardiopulmonary bypass, by means of a technique using a temporary intraluminal shunt (TIS) described originally by Rivetti and Gandra in 1991. The technique consists of inserting a shunt of a flexible and transparent sylastic tube with external diameter varying from 1 mm to 3 mm into the coronary artery which allows distal irrigation of the coronary artery during the anastomosis between the vein or mammary artery and the coronaries. It offers safety to the patient by avoiding ischemia and its consequences, by molding the coronary artery and maintaining a bloodless field. Mortality was 1,4% in this series and 1,6% of myocardial infarction. There were no life-threatening complications during the procedure. There were no complications similar those normally occurring in the post-operative period of cardiopulmonary procedures. This technique is useful for any patient with coronary stenosis in the antero-diaphragmatic region, but it also provided a good quality of the anastomosis in the cases studied.
Myocardial revascularization; Arteriovenous shunt; Surgery
