title: Direct ostioplasty of the left main coronary artery using the right internal thoracic artery as patch material.
abstract: Three female patients underwent operations for nonatherosclerotic isolated left main coronary artery stenosis. Transaortic patch angioplasty was performed via an anterior approach using the most proximal segment of the right internal thoracic artery as patch material. Six months after surgery coronary angiography revealed good results in all three cases. The internal thoracic artery can be used to enlarge the left coronary ostium safely, if heavy calcification is not present.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Debrecen, Móricz Zs. Krt. 22, Debrecen H-4004, Hungary.
authors.forename: Z L
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szokol
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Péterffy
mesh_terms: D017130:Angioplasty / Q000379:methods*; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000601:surgery*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008323:Mammary Arteries / Q000601:surgery*