CASE REPORTS  CARDIAC SECTION 

The Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery 2007 April;48(2):247-8

Copyright © 2007 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Selective antegrade cardioplegic perfusion complicated by left main stem dissection

Van Putte B. P. ¹, Vink A. ², De Bruin P. C. ², Defauw J. J. A. ¹

¹ Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery St. Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein, The Netherlands 2 Department of Pathology St. Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein, The Netherlands

Selective antegrade coronary artery perfusion is a commonly used procedure to obtain myocardial preservation during cardiac surgery. This report describes a patient operated for severe aortic valve stenosis and insufficiency, mitral valve and tricuspid insufficiency. Cardioplegia was administered by selective antegrade coronary artery blood perfusion. Antegrade blood cardioplegia was complicated by dissection of the left coronary main stem. The dissection induced a myocardial infaction and the patient finally died due to heart failure.