ObjectiveTo explore the effect of skeletonized left internal mammary artery (LIMA) in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). MethodsA total of 122 patients who underwent pure CABG were recruited in the study in the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University between January and April 2013. There were 77 males and 45 females with age of 41-76(62.8±10.5) years. They were randomly assigned to received CABG with skeletonized LIMAs (group A, 60 patients) or pedicle LIMAs (the group B, 62 patients) by random digital table. LIMAs were all anastomosised to the left anterior descending artery. ResultsThere was one patient failure in harvesting LIMA process in the group A and B respectively, and they were changed to saphenous vein grafts and excluded from the criteria. There were 2 and 3 patients of postoperative myocardial infarction in the group A and in the group B respectively, with incidence rate of 3.4% and 4.9% respectively (P > 0.05). One patient died in each group during hospitalization with hospital mortality rates of 1.7% and 1.6% respectively (P > 0.05). Complications such as mediastinal infection occurred zero and one patient in the group A and in the group B respectively (P > 0.05). LIMA harvesting time of the group A was statistically longer than that of the group B (30.7±7.2 min vs. 17.2±5.6 min, P < 0.05). In six months of follow-up after surgery, coronary CT showed patency rate of LIMA in the group A and in the group B was 96.8% and 100.0% respectively (P > 0.05). ConclusionThe recent effect of skeletonized LIMA as graft material in CABG is satisfactory.