Successful coronary artery bypass grafting in a patient with bilateral internal carotid artery occlusion: a case report

The best management regimen for patients with coronary artery disease requiring surgery and bilateral total internal carotid artery occlusion remains controversial. A 61-year-old male patient presented with unstable angina pectoris. His medical history revealed that he had a cerebrovascular accident 11 years ago. On physical examination, he had dysarthria and monoparesis on the right upper extremity. Coronary and carotid angiography revealed critical coronary artery stenosis and total occlusion of bilateral internal carotid arteries, total occlusion of the right vertebral artery and 40% stenosis of the left proximal vertebral artery. After general intravenous fentanyl anesthesia, low dose heparin was administered, and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was performed under off-pump beating heart condition. Systolic blood pressure was maintained above 120 mmHg to preserve cerebral blood flow during the operation. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged in the 7(th) day postoperatively. If CABG is mandatory in patients having high cerebrovascular risk, off-pump CABG could be performed to reduce the stroke risk