Surgical repair of a pseudoaneurysm derived from a nine-year-old saphenous vein graft after coronary artery bypass

Abstract

A 57-year-old male presented intermittent pain between the left shoulder and neck. He had undergone coronary artery bypass twice and all grafts had been confirmed to be angiographically intact at three and a half years prior. Coronary angiography revealed that a pseudoaneurysm derived from around the proximal ascending aortic anastomosis of the saphenous vein graft that connected to the left anterior descending branch and #4-atrioventricular branch sequentially. The pseudoaneurysm compressed the saphenous vein graft itself. He underwent repair of the pseudoaneurysm through median sternotomy after left subclavian artery-saphenous vein graft bypass utilizing a free left radial artery without cardiopulmonary bypass through left anterolateral thoracotomy. A7 mm length longitudinal tear in the saphenous vein graft near the proximal anastomosis had caused the pseudoaneurysm. This tear had likely been caused by perforation by a catheter during coronary arteriography three and a half years ago.