What are the future research directions of CABG?
Future research directions of CABG include improving its results in high-risk patients and making it less invasive for elective revascularization. Minimally invasive techniques, with the use of robotics and anastomotic connectors, intraoperative imaging, hybrid procedures, and protein and gene therapy, appear promising. Robotic technology in minimally invasive CABG leads to less traumatic harvesting of the LIMA for minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass procedures compared with nonrobotic techniques. The ultimate goal of robotic CABG is totally endoscopic CABG, but its use has been limited, at least partly because of a substantial learning curve, cost considerations, and few data demonstrating noninferior graft patency and outcomes compared with standard CABG. Anastomotic connectors may enable more routine application of totally endoscopic anastomoses in subjects undergoing minimally invasive CABG.