Left internal mammary artery graft perforation repair using polytetrafluoroethylene-covered stents

• Published in: Catheterization and cardiovascular interventions 2000-09, Vol.51 (1), p.78-82
• Main Authors: Albiero, Remo, Nishida, Takahiro, Corvaja, Nicola, Vaghetti, Marco, Di Mario, Carlo, Colombo, Antonio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Angioplasty, Balloon; artery perforation; Biological and medical sciences; Coronary Artery Bypass - methods; Female; Graft Occlusion, Vascular - diagnostic imaging; Graft Occlusion, Vascular - therapy; Humans; internal mammary artery graft; Male; Mammary Arteries - injuries; Mammary Arteries - transplantation; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Polytetrafluoroethylene; polytetrafluoroethylene-covered stent; Radiography; Stents; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the heart; Sutures - adverse effects; Tissue and Organ Harvesting - adverse effects; Tissue and Organ Harvesting - methods; Wounds, Penetrating - etiology; Wounds, Penetrating - therapy
• ISSN: 1522-1946; 1522-726X
• DOI: 10.1002/1522-726X(200009)51:1<78::AID-CCD18>3.0.CO;2-8

The increase in the use of the left internal mammary artery (LIMA) as graft of choice to the left anterior descending coronary artery for conventional and minimally invasive coronary artery bypass surgery has led to an increased incidence of LIMA pathologic lesions early after surgery. The lesion, commonly located in the body of the LIMA graft, is usually caused by mechanical injury during harvesting of the vessel. In this context, percutaneous intervention with stent implantation can be complicated by vessel rupture, which usually requires emergency surgical repair. We describe two cases of stent implantation in newly placed LIMA grafts complicated by vessel rupture, which were successfully repaired using polytetrafluoroethylene‐covered stents. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 51:78–82, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.