What are the Advantages of Off-Pump Coronary Bypass Surgery (OPCAB)?
An alternative to traditional CABG is off-pump or beating heart surgery, where surgeons don't use the heart-lung machine. The procedure is also called OPCAB (Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass). The surgeons sew the bypasses onto the heart while it continues beating. Various types of heart stabilizers are used to restrain the heart one section at a time so the surgeon can operate on it. The chest is opened through a midline sternotomy incision. After the target coronary vessel is exposed and stabilized, it is occluded and opened. A bridging plastic tube -- which allows blood flow during suturing -- may be placed. The bypass graft is then sutured to the coronary artery.
The potential benefits/advantages of off-pump surgery may include the following:

Reduced need for blood transfusions
Reduced risk of bleeding, stroke and kidney failure
Potential for reduced psychomotor and cognitive problems
High-risk patients with additional diseases like lung disease, kidney failure and peripheral vascular disease may benefit from this kind of operation