title: Surgical treatment of myocardial bridging causing coronary artery obstruction.
abstract: Nine patients with obstruction of coronary artery blood flow caused by myocardial bridging underwent surgery after failure of medical treatment. The diagnoses were made angiographically at rest or during beta-stimulation. Impaired blood flow was found only in the left anterior descending artery in seven patients and additionally in the diagonal branch in two. The operations, performed with cardiopulmonary bypass consisted of complete dissection of the overlying myocardium. All patients survived the operation. Major intraoperative complications were accidental opening of the right ventricle in two patients. Postoperative scintigraphic and angiographic studies demonstrated restoration of coronary flow and myocardial perfusion without residual myocardial bridges under beta-stimulation. Surgical relief of myocardial ischemia due to systolic compression of intramyocardial coronary arteries can be accomplished with low operative risk and with excellent functional results.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Clinics of Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iversen
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hake
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Erbel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Diefenbach
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oelert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D003330:Coronary Vessel Anomalies / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000293:injuries; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D016896:Treatment Outcome