Finally, the cost effectiveness of the HCR procedure is analysed. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1. Search Strategy The MEDLINE/PubMed database was searched in January 2012 using the medical subject headings (MESH) for ��coronary artery disease�� and ��angioplasty, balloon, selleck kinase inhibitor coronary�� combined with the following free-text keywords: ��multivessel coronary artery disease,�� ��minimally invasive coronary artery bypass,�� ��percutaneous coronary intervention,�� and ��hybrid coronary revascularization��. One hundred seventy-seven articles matching these search criteria were found, and the search for additional papers was continued by analysing the reference lists of relevant articles. 2.2. Selection Criteria Randomized controlled trials, nonrandomized prospective and retrospective (comparative) studies were selected for inclusion.

Publications in languages other than English were excluded beforehand. Letters, editorials, (multi)case reports, reviews, and small studies (n < 15) were also excluded. Studies examining the HCR procedure for multivessel coronary disease were included, while studies investigating the HCR procedure for left main coronary stenosis were excluded. Authors and medical centres with two or more published studies were carefully evaluated and were represented by their most recent publication to avoid multiple reporting of the same patients. A total of eighteen included studies remained eligible for analysis after applying these in- and exclusion criteria (Figure 1). Figure 1 Study selection. 2.3.

Review Strategy The primary outcome measures were in-hospital major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), packed red blood cells (PRBCs) transfusion rate, LITA patency, hospital length of stay (LOS), 30-day mortality, survival, and target vessel revascularization (TVR). Secondary outcome measures were intensive care unit (ICU) LOS and intubation time, as only a limited number of studies reported these outcome measures. In addition, the period of time between PCI and LITA to LAD bypass grafting and the cost effectiveness of HCR were examined. The long-term LITA patency was not included as an outcome measure, since only a limited number of studies report this outcome measure in a clear and concise manner. In-hospital major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events were defined as postoperative stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), or death during hospital stay.

Only the Fitzgibbon patency class A (widely patent) was considered as a patent LITA to LAD bypass graft, while the Fitzgibbon patency class B (flow limiting) and C (occluded) were defined as a nonpatent LITA to LAD bypass graft. Hospital LOS was defined as the number of days spent in hospital from Anacetrapib operation to discharge. If the need for repeated revascularization involved a coronary artery initially treated with either bypass grafting or PCI, this repeated revascularization was considered to be target vessel revascularization.