 Coronary artery bypass grafting CABG effectively relieves angina, results in longer survival, and a better quality of life in specific subgroups of patients with obstructive coronary artery disease. Due to the high incidence of coronary artery disease worldwide, as well as the effectiveness of the surgical procedure, CABG surgery makes up one of the top ten most frequently performed procedures in North America and Europe. In the United States it is estimated that approximately 467,000 CABG procedures were performed in 2003. 