Hybrid coronary revascularization: which patients? when? how?

Purpose of review The aim of this review is to report on current indications and patient selection for hybrid coronary revascularization and to outline current techniques for a hybrid approach. Recent findings Hybrid coronary intervention is a revascularization strategy that combines surgical and catheter-based procedures for treatment of multivessel coronary artery disease. Most published studies report on application of this concept in patients with complex lesions of the left anterior descending artery and nonleft anterior descending lesions suited for percutaneous coronary intervention. Currently, the spectrum of surgical procedures in hybrid coronary revascularization ranges from left internal mammary artery bypass grafting via sternotomy and minithoracotomy to completely endoscopic robotic double vessel coronary artery bypass grafting. Percutaneous coronary intervention in hybrid procedures is performed as single or multiple coronary angioplasty with stenting using either bare metal or drug-eluting stents. Staged and simultaneous approaches can be applied. The latter are increasingly performed in the hybrid operating room. Summary Hybrid coronary intervention is an emerging interdisciplinary approach in the treatment of coronary artery disease and a potential viable alternative to open coronary bypass surgery or multivessel stenting.