CABG Versus PCI With DES The use of DES for PCI will require a reassessment of cost- effectiveness. Although the initial procedure is considerably more expensive than the use of balloon angioplasty or BMS, equaling the cost of CABG in many patients with multivessel CAD, the cost of reintervention for restenosis may be reduced. The cost-effectiveness will depend on the pricing of stents, utilization rates of the more expensive stents, and efficacy. In a 2010 study from Japan comparing the total costs at 2 years of CABG and DES implantation in patients with left main CAD, the total costs were significantly lower for those undergoing CABG than for those receiving a DES.1252 8. Future Research Directions With improvements in percutaneous techniques and medical therapy, on-pump CABG and off-pump CABG will increas- ingly be reserved for patients with extensive CAD, many of whom have had previous PCI. The future of CABG will be directed at improving its results in high-risk patients and making CABG less invasive for elective revascularization. Minimally invasive techniques, with the use of robotics and anastomotic connectors, intraoperative imaging, hybrid pro- cedures, and protein and gene therapy, appear promising. Robotic technology in minimally invasive CABG leads to less traumatic harvesting of the LIMA for minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass procedures compared with nonrobotic techniques.1253 The ultimate goal of robotic CABG is totally endoscopic CABG, but its use has been limited, at least partly because of a substantial learning curve, cost considerations, and few data demonstrating noninferior graft patency and outcomes compared with standard CABG. Anastomotic connectors may enable more routine applica- tion of totally endoscopic anastomoses in subjects undergoing minimally invasive CABG. 