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[Coronary artery bypass grafting for ischemic heart disease combined with aortitis]

T Isomura1, K Hisatomi, T Nakao

  • 1Second Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine.

Insights

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in a patient with aortitis required careful preoperative assessment. Saphenous vein grafts were used due to non-viable internal thoracic arteries and gastroepiploic artery.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Surgery
  • Vascular Imaging
  • Aortitis Management

Background:

  • A 67-year-old female patient with a history of right radical mastectomy presented for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).
  • Preoperative evaluation revealed diffuse stenotic lesions in both the right and left coronary arteries.
  • A significant pressure gradient (90 mmHg) between the ascending aorta and radial artery suggested hypertension secondary to distal aortic stenosis.

Observation:

  • Coronary angiography demonstrated diffuse stenotic lesions in both coronary arteries.
  • Aortography revealed occluded bilateral internal thoracic arteries (ITAs) and stenotic abdominal aorta.
  • The cephalic artery was supplied via a dilated gastroepiploic artery (GEA), rendering it unsuitable for CABG.

Findings:

  • Quadruple CABG was successfully performed using mild varicose saphenous vein grafts.
  • Grafts included left anterior descending artery, its third branch, and sequential grafts to the right posterior descending and atrioventricular branches.
  • The patient's aortitis complicated graft selection, necessitating alternative arterial sources.

Implications:

  • Preoperative imaging to assess arterial lesions, particularly in the internal thoracic arteries (ITAs) and gastroepiploic artery (GEA), is crucial in patients with aortitis undergoing CABG.
  • This case highlights the importance of thorough vascular assessment to identify suitable grafts when standard arterial conduits are compromised.
  • Alternative grafting strategies, such as utilizing saphenous vein grafts, are vital for successful revascularization in complex aortitis cases.

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