Post-pneumonectomy coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Postpneumonectomy changes, including ipsilateral diaphragmatic elevation and rib crowding, mediastinal shifting of the heart and reduction of respiratory functional reserve by 45%-55%, make cardiac surgery challenging in terms of access to the heart and great vessels. There is a paucity of literature on coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in patients with a history of pneumonectomy. We report a case of a male in his 70s with a history of left pneumonectomy who underwent a successful on-pump CABG surgery using the left internal mammary artery graft and great saphenous vein graft. The patient was extubated postoperatively and discharged in a stable condition. With no consensus available for optimal preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative management for these high-risk patients, our case report adds to the rare literature regarding successful on-pump CABG after pneumonectomy.