The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 37, 291-294, Copyright © 1984 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Combined aortocoronary bypass and intraoperative transluminal angioplasty in left main coronary artery disease
JM Caralps, C Crexells, A Aris, JO Bonnin and A Oriol
Transaortic intraluminal angioplasty of the left main coronary artery by
Gruntzig's technique has been used intraoperatively in 4 patients who
underwent multiple aortocoronary bypasses. Angiographic and clinical
results were excellent in 3 of them. It is suggested that this combined
technique be used to obtain more complete revascularization at the time of
coronary artery bypass. The technique is easy to perform without x-ray
facilities in the operating room, and it seems reasonable to assume that it
may improve the myocardial blood supply of those areas irrigated by small
arteries originating between the stenosed main trunk and other subsequent
lesions.