Objective:To study the characteristics and protocols of rehabilitation following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) .Methods:Thirty-five patients underwent an inpatient and home-based cardiac rehabilitation program after CABG.Results:The average hospital stay following operation was 16.66 days, and the average METs prior to discharge, by a low maximal workload exercise testing was 3.64. The data collected from a follow-up questionnaire and the METs of 7 patients at 1, 3, 6 months post-operation showed that the patients' working capacity, rate-pressure product (RPP) and quality of life were improved.Conclusion:The post-CABG rehabilitation program could increase the efficacy of operation, and the home-based cardiac rehabilitation program was safe and effective.

Objetive: A new surgical bypass technique for harvesting left intramammary artery(LIMA) and mammaryleft anterior descending artery(LAD) through a minimal thoracotomy without extracorporeal circulation was evaluated in this animal experiment. Methods:Eleven mongrel dogs were used.LIMA was harvested by use of thoracoscopy. And then, a minimal anterior thoracotomy was performed and the LIMA was anastomosed directly to LAD on the beating heart without extracorporeal circulation. Results:The LIMA was dissected up to the first costal space.It took about 60 to 80 minutes for harvesting the first four LIMAs. The harvesting time was down to 30 to 50 minutes for the 7 left. All the 11 LIMAs could be used for the bypass procedures. The first 4 anastomoses failed because of bleeding from the anastomotic sites, tachycardia(130～150 beat/min). The following 7 were successful owing to satisfactory control of the above problems. Conclusion:Controlling the anastomotic bleeding, slowing down the heart rate, decreasing the local muscular motion around the anastomotic area,and preventing ventricular fibrillation were important procedures. The data indicate that this operation is safe and technically feasible for the clinical use.