Proposal of a new method for the skeletonized internal mammary artery harvesting: Historical, anatomical and physiological fundaments

Abstract

In the last 30 years the interest of the cardiovascular surgeons for the skeletonized dissection of the internal mammary artery has increased, mainly stimulated by its bilateral use, to achieve the total arterial revascularization in the greater amount of patients; this, in theory, is accompanied by a higher incidence of deep infections of the sternal wound. Since 1992, the classical technique of the mammary skeletonized dissection has practically not changed. Perhaps, the only major changes have been the introduction of the harmonic cauterizer around the year 2000 and the tendency of a few groups to try to preserve intact the retrosternal venous plexus. After a thorough analysis of the historical, anatomical and physiological fundaments on which this procedure is based, and based on the practice in more than 100 patients over a period of two years, modifications are presented for the classical technique of the skeletonized dissection of the internal mammary artery that allow obtaining a healthier hemoduct in less time, greater protection against infection and ischemia of the bone and mediastinal organs, as well as the preservation of the integrity of the internal mammary vein.