The LITA–LAD coronary bypass: historical perfection with emerging future perspectives in the third millennium

Among all innovations in cardiovascular medicine, the left internal thoracic artery to left anterior descending artery (LITA-LAD) graft stands as one of the most successful and enduring therapeutic paradigms. Introduced in the late 1960s, it quickly transformed the surgical treatment of ischemic heart disease, establishing new standards of durability, patency, and survival. More than fifty years later, the LITA-LAD graft remains the cornerstone of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and continues to define excellence in both cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology.