Computer-Assisted Navigation on the Arrested Heart During CABG Surgery

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the standard treatment for advanced coronary artery diseases (CAD). Optimal placement of the bypass graft on the diseased vessel is very important. To assist the surgeon in this matter, a computer assistance system has been developed facilitating navigation on the heart surface. After retrospective validation on patient data sets yielded good results, the system was successfully applied for in-vivo navigation on the front side of the heart during several CABG procedures. Postoperative evaluation confirmed that intraoperative navigation has been performed with adequate accuracy.