Serious wound infections after minimally invasive coronary bypass procedures

Background. Minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting has become an increasingly accepted therapy for selected patients with single-vessel coronary artery disease. Reported morbidity has focused on anastomotic problems, but the occurrence of serious wound complications after these procedures has not been well documented. Methods. We reviewed our institutional experience with 35 patients to look for the incidence of serious wound complications. Results. Three patients had serious wound problems after minithoracotomy for coronary artery bypass graft procedures. This represents an overall 9% wound morbidity rate and a 100% rate in the obese women. Conclusions. Wound complications at the incision site after minithoracotomy coronary artery bypass graft procedures seem to occur distinctly in obese women with redundant breasts.