Surgical and technological advances now allow surgeons to sew bypass grafts in place while the heart is still beating — a procedure known as off-pump or beating heart surgery (OPCAB). Traditional open-heart surgery requires the patient’s blood to be circulated through a heart-lung machine, so the heart does not move during surgery. During Off-pump surgery, specially designed instruments allow surgeons to hold small areas of the heart still while it is being repaired. The pumping function of the heart continues normally. Benefits of off-pump bypass surgery include shorter hospital stay, less trauma and less potential for complications such as infection or bleeding.