title: Off-pump supraarterial decompression myotomy for myocardial bridging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery may result in clinical symptoms. Surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is a therapeutic option with considerable risk. We hypothesized that off-pump supraarterial myotomy could be an effective treatment modality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between October 1998 and May 2000, 13 patients were referred for surgery. All were symptomatic despite medical therapy. Anteroseptal ischemia had been proven by thallium scintigraphy in all 13 patients, exercise testing was positive in 11. All patients were operated on with an off-pump approach after median sternotomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean patient age was 61 +/- 8 years (range, 43-71 years). Coronary artery disease mandating additional bypasses was present in 3 patients. The bypasses were done off pump in 2 patients. Conversion to on-pump surgery was necessary in 3 of 13 patients (23%) because of hemodynamic compromise (1 patient), opening of the right ventricle (1 patient), and injury to the LAD (1 patient). Supraarterial myotomy was performed in all patients. One patient who underwent surgery with CPB developed postoperative anteroseptal myocardial infarction. Postoperative exercise testing was performed in all patients and did not reveal any persistent ischemia. Mortality was 0%. All patients were free from symptoms and had not undergone repeat interventions after an average of 51 +/- 7 months of follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Off-pump supraarterial myotomy effectively relieves coronary obstruction but has a certain periprocedural risk as evidenced by 1 myocardial infarction, 1 right ventricular injury, and 1 LAD injury. Long-term freedom from symptoms and from reintervention favor further investigation of this surgical therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Mersa M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Baryalei
authors.forename: Theodorus
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tirilomis
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Buhre
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kazmaier
authors.forename: Friedrich A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Schoendube
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aleksic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D003330:Coronary Vessel Anomalies / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000293:injuries; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology