The future of coronary artery bypass grafting.

Coronary artery bypass grafting has evolved considerably since it was introduced approximately 50 years ago, with continuously improved patient outcomes as a result of this growth. The most up-to-date evidence on topics such as graft patency, grafting strategy, approaches to graft harvesting, minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting, and postoperative pharmacotherapy may lead to changes in current accepted practice. In addition, several unanswered questions in the field of coronary artery bypass grafting may benefit from further investigation and, if resolved, might advance the field and change practice. Current or upcoming clinical trials seek to answer these unanswered questions and may generate data that yields improved outcomes and quality of life for all patients after coronary artery bypass grafting. In addition, cutting edge clinical trials designed specifically for women and racial and ethnic minorities who have had poorer outcomes and have traditionally been underrepresented in cardiovascular surgery research, have recently been launched that may change the way that a large portion of the coronary artery bypass grafting population is treated in the future.