Coronary bypass surgery performed without cracking the chest for the first time

Doctors report the first human coronary artery bypass graft done without opening the chest, using a transcatheter technique called VECTOR, and the patient showed no artery obstruction six months later.

Doctors have reported the first human coronary artery bypass graft performed without cutting through the chest. The team used a transcatheter approach, inserting and threading surgical tools through a blood vessel in the leg, and published the account in Circulation Cardiovascular Interventions. The procedure is called ventriculo-coronary transcatheter outward navigation and re-entry (VECTOR). Six months after the procedure the patient showed no signs of coronary artery obstruction. Primary findings: - The first human CABG performed without opening the chest was reported, using instruments introduced through a leg blood vessel, according to the study in Circulation Cardiovascular Interventions. - The technique is named VECTOR (ventriculo-coronary transcatheter outward navigation and re-entry). - The patient selected for the first case was not a candidate for traditional open-chest CABG because of heart failure and poorly functioning artificial heart valves, and showed no coronary obstruction at six months. - Researchers noted that further testing in additional patients is needed before VECTOR could be considered for wider use. - Separately, researchers identified four new cell-surface proteins that improved detection of circulating triple-negative breast cancer cells in mouse models and patient blood samples, as reported in Cancer Research Communications. - A mid-stage randomized trial of varenicline for cannabis use disorder involving 174 participants found reduced cannabis use in men but not in women, with women on varenicline reporting higher anxiety, according to a report in Addiction. Summary: The VECTOR case represents an initial clinical step toward a less invasive option for coronary bypass, while acknowledging that broader adoption depends on further patient testing. Other reports in this roundup describe new markers to better detect aggressive breast cancer cells in blood and mixed results for varenicline in treating cannabis use disorder, with additional research planned.