Teruaki Ushijima

About

Teruaki Ushijima is a pioneering cardiac surgeon whose work has advanced the field of minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). His research centers on robotic-assisted surgical techniques, with a particular focus on internal thoracic artery (ITA) harvesting—a critical component of CABG procedures. Ushijima’s major contributions include the development of the subxiphoid approach for robotic ITA harvesting, described in his 2009 paper (9 citations), which offers a less invasive alternative to traditional methods. He further refined this work with the "Sliding Fascia Technique" (2010, 2 citations), a method for robotic skeletonized ITA harvesting that enhances blood flow, provides a longer conduit, and reduces bleeding compared to pedicled harvesting. These innovations, performed using the da Vinci surgical system, demonstrate Ushijima’s commitment to improving patient outcomes through surgical precision and reduced trauma. His techniques have been applied in over a dozen robotic CABG cases, showcasing their clinical feasibility. Ushijima’s contributions are notable for pushing the boundaries of robotic cardiac surgery, offering surgeons new tools to achieve the least invasive revascularization possible.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   A novel internal thoracic artery harvesting technique via subxiphoid approach – for the least invasive coronary artery bypass grafting

   9 citations · 2009
2. 2
   Robotic Skeletonized Internal Thoracic Artery Harvesting: The Sliding Fascia Technique

   2 citations · 2010

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links