CASE REPORT   

Chirurgia 2019 August;32(4):213-5

DOI: 10.23736/S0394-9508.18.04869-6

Copyright © 2018 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Extensive coronary endarterectomy in the left anterior descending artery

João P. MONTEIRO ✉, Diogo RIJO, Rodolfo PEREIRA, Paulo PONCE, Luís VOUGA

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Hospital of Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal

Coronary endarterectomy was initially the gold standard for the treatment of coronary artery disease. As early results were disappointing especially when used alone, it has not been widely used. Nonetheless, subsequent series have shown promising results when used in conjunction with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The popularity of this technique in recent times probably reflects the changing pattern and severity of coronary artery disease being referred for surgical revascularization. We report a case of an 83-year-old man with extremely severe calcified atherosclerosis disease of the coronary artery, to whom, closed coronary endarterectomy was necessary for successful CABG. A surgical procedure with such a long coronary endarterectomy (45 mm) is rarely necessary, but in case of performance, it appears to be a safe and feasible technique with good long-term graft flow and patency.

KEY WORDS: Endarterectomy - Coronary artery bypass - Coronary artery