title: A technique for salvaging a critical internal mammary artery bypass graft damaged during resternotomy.
abstract: Resternotomy in the presence of a patent internal mammary artery graft poses an addition hazard to the reoperation. We describe a situation in which the patent mammary artery graft to the left anterior descending artery was severed and retracted during sternal reentry for an aortic valve replacement. We illustrate a simple technique for restoring the blood supply using a coronary artery shunt.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University Hospitals Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sridhar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rathinam
authors.forename: Ramesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gohil
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Galea
authors.forename: Bruce E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Keogh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D001021:Aortic Valve; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery*; D008323:Mammary Arteries / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D012086:Reoperation / Q000009:adverse effects; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery*; D019737:Transplants