Graftmaster savior: Injury to a patent LIMA during pericardiectomy, when a covered stent came to the rescue

A 71-year-old male with multivessel coronary artery disease who underwent bypass with saphenous vein grafts to a Marginal branch and distal RCA and LIMA to LAD in 1988, DM II, atrial fibrillation on Coumadin, TIA, obstructive sleep apnea and pulmonary hypertension was referred to our institution after extensive dyspnea evaluation with a diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis for pericardiectomy. He had normal left ventricular function, moderate mitral and tricuspid regurgitation. Coronary angiography revealed ostial LAD CTO, patent LIMA to mid LAD, second Marginal branch CTO with left-to-left collaterals and mid RCA CTO with left-to-right collaterals. Vein grafts to the Marginal branch and distal RCA were occluded. The pericardium was heavily calcified on CT of the chest. The LIMA was inadvertently injured leading to acute STEMI and ventricular fibrillation arrest treated with defibrillation once. Surgical repair was unsuccessful. A Graftmaster covered stent was successful deployed with restoration of TIMI III flow to the LAD territory. Pericardiectomy was completed via both the median resternotomy and left thoracotomy. Triple therapy with Aspirin, Clopidogrel, and Coumadin was initiated and maintained for 3 months without hemorrhagic or thrombotic complications. He has continued to do well in follow-up on Clopidogrel and Coumadin.