title: Internal thoracic artery grafting for congenital coronary malformations.
abstract: We report 2 patients with congenital coronary anomalies (atresia of left main coronary artery and anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery) successfully treated with single or double internal thoracic artery grafting. Because the internal thoracic artery has a potential for circumferential as well as longitudinal development, and because of the uncertainty of ultimate vein graft function, we believe that the internal thoracic artery is the best graft material for the treatment of congenital coronary malformations requiring bypass operation in children, adolescents, or even in adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery III, Nara Medical College, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawachi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishii
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizuguchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukutomi
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003330:Coronary Vessel Anomalies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013895:Thoracic Arteries / Q000637:transplantation*