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Surgical management of arteriosclerotic coronary artery aneurysm

T Shimizu1, T Hirayama, N Koizumi

  • 1Department of Surgery II, Tokyo Medical University, Japan.

Insights

A large saccular right coronary artery aneurysm was successfully ligated, but gastroepiploic artery grafting proved problematic due to diffuse coronary ectasia, highlighting potential bypass conduit limitations.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Vascular Surgery

Background:

  • A 60-year-old male with a history of myocardial infarction presented with a large saccular right coronary artery aneurysm.
  • Coronary angiography revealed total left anterior descending artery occlusion and significant ectasia adjacent to the aneurysm.

Observation:

  • The aneurysm thrombosed and caused distal coronary artery stenosis despite anticoagulant therapy.
  • Surgical intervention involved aneurysm ligation and in situ gastroepiploic artery grafting.

Findings:

  • The patient developed sudden heart failure, attributed to graft hypoperfusion, necessitating supplemental saphenous vein grafting.
  • Ligation effectively managed the aneurysm, but the gastroepiploic artery was an unsuitable conduit for the ectatic vessel.

Implications:

  • Ligation is a viable strategy for managing large saccular coronary artery aneurysms.
  • Diffuse coronary ectasia can compromise the patency and suitability of gastroepiploic artery grafts in bypass surgery.

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