Intracoronary artery shunt: an assessment of possible coronary artery wall damage

Multivessel off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) is currently feasible in many patients1,2 and yields anastomoses of excellent quality. Intracoronary shunts are routinely used to ensure an optimal bloodless operative field and to reduce the onset of myocardial ischemia.3 However, the effects of these devices on coronary artery endothelial integrity have not been throughly assessed. The aim of this study was to investigate such effects on coronary endothelial cells and the artery wall in a human model that would exactly mimic the atheromatous coronary artery scenario of patients with ischemic coronary artery disease.