Aortic posterior wall perforation with automatic aortic cutter during routine off-pump coronary bypass grafting

Thomas Syburra; Oliver Reuthebuch; Kirk Graves; Michele Genoni

doi:10.1510/icvts.2009.211078

Aortic posterior wall perforation with automatic aortic cutter during routine off-pump coronary bypass grafting

Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2009 Nov;9(5):840-1. doi: 10.1510/icvts.2009.211078. Epub 2009 Aug 19.

Authors

Thomas Syburra¹, Oliver Reuthebuch, Kirk Graves, Michele Genoni

Affiliation

¹ Division of Cardiac Surgery, City Hospital Triemli, Zurich, Switzerland. [email protected]

PMID: 19692438
DOI: 10.1510/icvts.2009.211078

Abstract

Aortic complications are very rare during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB). When they occur, the mortality is high. We report a case of perforation of the posterior aortic wall after punching out the hole in the ascending aorta with an automatic aortic cutter to avoid clamping for the proximal anastomosis during a routine OPCAB procedure. The consequence was a massive hemorrhage, emergency conversion to cardiopulmonary bypass and replacement of the aortic valve and of the ascending aorta.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Aged
Aorta / injuries*
Aorta / physiopathology
Aorta / surgery
Aortic Rupture / etiology*
Aortic Rupture / physiopathology
Aortic Rupture / surgery
Aortic Valve / surgery
Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation
Cardiopulmonary Bypass
Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump / adverse effects*
Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump / instrumentation
Coronary Stenosis / surgery*
Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation
Hemodynamics
Hemorrhage / etiology
Hemorrhage / physiopathology
Hemorrhage / surgery*
Humans
Male
Treatment Outcome