When a cardiac surgeon chooses to perform the CABG procedure off-pump (OPCAB) the heart is still beating while the graft attachments are made to bypass a blockage.

Sometimes, the fatty type materials that collects to form a blockage or line on the walls of an artery may break loose during CABG procedure manipulation.

This debris can result in clots, or emboli, that may interrupt the flow of blood to the brain, causing neurological damage or even stroke.

Data analysis from beating-heart surgery patients shows a significant reduction in the release of this debris with correspondingly lower stroke rates.

Minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass surgery (MIDCAB) is a form of OPCAB that involves an incision rather than cutting into the sternum.