[Emergency coronary artery bypass in an 84-year-old patient with severe left main disease and cardiogenic shock]

An 84-year-old male was admitted to pur hospital because of unstable angina. The patient presented in cardiogenic shock with a cardiac index of 1.3 l/min/m2 associated with hypotension (systolic blood pressure < 80 mmHg) and oliguria, and in ventricular fibrillation after an acute broad anterolateral infarction due to severe left main coronary disease. The patient received an intra-aortic balloon pumping (IABP) and underwent emergency CABG. After completion of CABG, left ventricular contractility was markedly diminished to maintain systemic circulation. Because the patient could not be weaned from cardio-pulmonary bypass (CPB) in spite of IABP and high-dose of catecholamines, we decided to continue CPB. It was continued for 163 minutes and the patient was successfully weaned from CPB. In spite of the high risk of operative mortality with CABG for left main shock syndrome in elderly patients, CABG could be performed safely. The patient ran an uneventful postoperative course and is now doing well.