European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Vol 11, 577-578, Copyright © 1997 by European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery
Video-assisted control of haemorrhage post coronary artery bypass surgery
JF McCarthy, K Subbareddy and AE Wood
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Excessive bleeding post coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) remains a
major source of morbidity and mortality. Approaching this bleeding with a
resternotomy, while necessary in the vast majority of cases, is associated
with an increased incidence of infections and sternal wound complications.
A thoracoscopic approach in select patients with a pleural based collection
is described.