title: A simple method to prevent internal thoracic artery tension: a single pericardio-thoracic suture technique.
abstract: Tension on the internal mammary artery is a major risk for anastomosis in patients with severe emphysematous lungs. For this reason, it can be necessary to harvest the internal thoracic artery to its origin, to skeletonize it, or as a last resort to use it as a free graft. Sometimes, these maneuvers cannot be enough to solve the problem. A simple suture technique to hang up the pericardium to the chest wall is described that eliminates herniation of emphysematous lungs across mediastinum and reduces tension on the left internal mammary artery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Koşuyolu Heart and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. dmansuroglu@kosuyolu.gov.tr
authors.forename: Denyan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mansuroğlu
authors.forename: Mesut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sişmanoğlu
authors.forename: Suat Nail
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Omeroğlu
authors.forename: Kaan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kirali
authors.forename: Gökhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ipek
authors.forename: Cevat
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yakut
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D006801:Humans; D008323:Mammary Arteries / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D010496:Pericardium / Q000601:surgery; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013896:Thoracic Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013909:Thorax / Q000098:blood supply