J reconstr Microsurg 2005; 21: 547-550 DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-922434
Copyright © 2005 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.
Direct Microvascular Repair of an Infant's Transected Coronary Artery: Case Report
Arshad R. Muzaffar1, Emilia A. Ploplys1, J. Geoffrey Stevenson2, Gordon Cohen3, Lester C. Permut3
1 Division of Craniofacial, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, Washington 2 Division of Cardiology, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, Washington 3 Division of Cardiac Surgery, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, Washington

ABSTRACT

The authors report the direct, microvascular repair of a right coronary artery transected during reoperation fOr complications of arterial switch operation (ASO) in a 3 month-old child. This is the first documented use of direct microsurgical anastamosis in the repair of an infant's transected coronary artery. Deviation from standard coronary bypass graft repair was permitted by vessel characteristics, as well as close collaboration between plastic surgery and cardiac surgery services. Patency of repair was confirmed intraoperatively with Doppler ultrasound and through postoperative echocardiograms documenting stable right ventricular function. This case highlights the benefit of a multidisciplinary approach to an emergent clinical problem using microsurgical techniques.

KEYWORDS

Microsurgery - arterial injury - infant