Prospective Angiographic Comparison of Direct, Endoscopic, and Telesurgical Approaches to Harvesting the Internal Thoracic Artery

The left internal thoracic artery can be harvested safely and effectively using minimally invasive videoscopic and robotic-assisted telesurgical techniques. Although the less invasive approaches require specialized equipment and training as well as increased operative time, they offer the potential for less traumatic myocardial revascularization through smaller incisions and reduced postoperative morbidity.