Patients with Klippel-Feil syndrome should have imaging of the subclavian artery and its branches prior to coronary artery bypass grafting.
Patients with Klippel-Feil syndrome have increased incidence of subclavian artery anomalies. We report a case of a patient with this syndrome undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Intra-operatively, the patient was found to have the left internal mammary artery arising from the second intercostal space and the decision was taken to use it as a free graft. As other anomalies of the subclavian arteries and their branches are recognised in patients with Klippel-Feil syndrome, we propose that imaging of the internal mammary arteries is carried out pre-operatively in such patients to assess the suitability for use as conduit in coronary artery bypass grafting.
Department of Cardiac Surgery, Royal Victoria Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast BT12 6BA, Northern Ireland, UK. ian.paul@talk21.com
Ian
I
Paul
Balaji
B
Badmanaban
Gianfranco
G
Campalani
D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D006801:Humans; D007387:Internal Mammary-Coronary Artery Anastomosis; D007714:Klippel-Feil Syndrome / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008323:Mammary Arteries / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000637:transplantation*; D013348:Subclavian Artery / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging