The History of Coronary Artery Surgery - A Brief Review

Abstract

The history of coronary artery surgery goes back 90 years. First clinical attempts were made in the fifties. As a result of progress in coronary angiography, the door to large-scale direct coronary artery bypass was opened in the seventies. More recent developments include minimally invasive and robotic approaches, as well as surgery without the use of extracorporeal circulation. Stiff competition between cardiologists and surgeons for the optimal mode of treating coronary heart disease persists.