Re-operation beating heart valve surgery post myocardial revascularization with patent grafts

Methods From September 2010 up to May 2013 seven patients (four male and three female, aged 67,66 ± 10,85, pre op LVEF 47,85 ± 6,46) with a story of previous CABG (three patients using left internal mammary artery + saphenous vein; four patients using LIMA + radial artery; one patient using also the right internal mammary artery, number of by pass 2.85 ± 0.63) were admitted in our department for valvular or ascending aorta disease. All patients had previous coronarography with patent arterial conduit in six patients, while in one patient an occluded LIMA graft on the LAD and a patent radial artery graft from the LIMA on the first and second obtuse marginal were observed. Reoperations were performed on beating heart. Arterial conducts were not isolated to avoid possible injury and the procedures were performed cross-clamping the aorta, on pump, perfusing the coronary trough the patents graft and with a retrograde perfusion with a cannula in the coronary sinus.