Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and most developed countries. The majority of deaths are due to coronary artery disease. It is estimated that 419,000 coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures were performed in the United States in 2009 for the surgical treatment of coronary artery disease. Off-pump CABG (without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass) is an attractive less invasive operative approach with multiple patient benefits.