title: Safety of coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with bilateral total carotid occlusions.
abstract: The presence of bilateral carotid artery occlusions in patients that require coronary artery bypass surgery is rare. Here, we report the successful coronary revascularization of two patients with cardiopulmonary bypass under moderate hypothermia. Routine preoperative carotid artery duplex sonographies revealed bilateral total internal carotid occlusions. However, no neurological deficits or abnormalities were found on clinical examination or brain computed tomography, respectively. The vertebral blood flows of both patients were also found to be highly increased. Following successful surgery, the postoperative courses were uneventful and patients were discharged from the hospital on the seventh postoperative day.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Dr. Siyami Ersek Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Center, Istanbul, Turkey. rafetgunay@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Rafet
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gunay
authors.forename: Yavuz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sensoz
authors.forename: Abdullah Kemal
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Tuygun
authors.forename: Mahmut Murat
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Demirtas
mesh_terms: D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction / Q000379:methods; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017751:Safety Management; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome