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Coronary artery steal syndromes following coronary artery bypass grafting (CAB) may occur as a result of the presence of large side-branches arising from the internal mammary artery (IMA). We report the first successful deployment of a new detachable vascular embolization coil device to occlude the IMA side-branches in two patients. Optimal positioning is easily obtained with the unique operator-controlled, safety-release protected mechanism of this device. Complete retraction is possible, with safe and efficient removal of the coil even after deployment. This feature was appreciated during one procedure in which the initially selected coil was found to be oversized, requiring immediate removal. Acute thrombo-occlusion of the IMA side-branches in both patients was observed. We conclude that IMA bypass graft side-branches causing coronary steal can be safely and effectively occluded using this new technique. However, due to observed delayed partial recanalization noted on distant follow-up angiography, we recommend placement of multiple coils at the time of initial embolization.

This case report demonstrates that bilateral internal mammary angiography through a single right-radial approach is feasible and convenient. It avoids double-brachial or radial artery puncture, is adapted to the variable characteristics of right internal mammary artery origin, and may be considered when the femoral approach is contraindicated.

Elective stenting for severe stenosis involving the origin of a right internal mammary artery graft was performed in a 60-year-old patient with severe unstable angina 2 yr after surgical revascularization. The procedure had an excellent immediate result which persisted at 6-mo angiographic follow-up. This unusual localization of arterial narrowing will probably be increasingly recognized as the right internal mammary artery becomes a first-choice conduit for right coronary artery bypass.

Coronary artery steal resulting from a large unligated intercostal or pericardial side branch of the internal mammary artery graft causing postoperative angina has been previously described. Transcatheter coil occlusion of internal mammary artery side branch has successfully been performed to treat coronary steal syndrome. Unsuccessful deployment of the microcoils can be due to inadequate guiding support in the LIMA or prolapse of the delivery catheter in the side branch. We report a new approach for the precise deployment of coils in the side branch of a LIMA graft, when inadequate guiding support is present.

Internal mammary artery (IMA) angiography can be difficult and time-consuming. We evaluated a custom designed balloon-tipped catheter, a Berman catheter (Arrow International, Reading, PA) modified by creating an end-hole to allow passage of a wire through the central lumen, for imaging the IMA without selective cannulation. We compared ease of use, procedure time, and image quality of the new catheter with the standard selective catheter technique. Thirty-six patients with IMA grafts were randomly assigned to imaging with either the study catheter or a standard catheter. Image quality, graded from poor to excellent, time to catheter placement in the subclavian artery (TIME 1), time to initial IMA angiography (TIME 2), and the difference between these two (TIME 3) were recorded. TIME 3 defined the time required to find and seat the catheter at the IMA site. The image quality was good or excellent in all but one patient. This one patient, randomized to the standard catheter technique, had poor image quality with the selective catheter. However, exchange for the study catheter resulted in excellent image quality. There was no difference in TIME 1 (P = 0.57) or TIME 2 (P = 0.55) between the two techniques. There was a significant difference in TIME 3 (P = 0.05) favoring the study catheter. There were no complication using either technique and the total contrast volume used was not significantly different between the two techniques (P = 0.32). We conclude that a new catheter technique for imaging the IMA without selective cannulation is safe, fast, easy to use, and may offer particular advantage in patients whose internal mammary artery is difficult to access.

Angioplasty of the internal mammary artery (IMA) bypass graft has been shown to be a safe and effective revascularization procedure. However, angiographic and long term clinical outcomes in the high-risk group of patients presenting with rest angina has not been well documented. We report the results of IMA angioplasty in 20 patients with rest angina out of 614 (3.2%) who received a left IMA graft at our institution between April 1987 and September 1994. All patients were admitted with rest angina, 12 patients demonstrated persistent ischemia despite medical therapy, two patients were in heart failure, and one patient was in cardiogenic shock. Balloon angioplasty was successful in 15 of 20 patients (75%). Failed angioplasty was associated with either severe IMA tortuousity (three patients) or inability to cross the anastomotic stenosis with the guide wire (two patients). Each of these five patients required angioplasty of either the native left anterior descending artery or other saphenous vein grafts for clinical stabilization. No patient suffered a major complication (myocardial infarction, emergent coronary bypass surgery, death). Clinical follow-up was obtained in all 20 patients (6 months, 7 years, mean 27 months). Twelve patients (60%) were asymptomatic or had stable angina at follow-up, and 8 returned with anginal symptoms. Four patients required repeat angioplasty for disease in other vessels, two were treated medically for angina, one underwent repeat CABG, and cardiac transplantation was performed in one patient for refractory heart failure. Angiographic follow up was obtained in 10/15 (66%) successful angioplasty patients, and only one patient demonstrated restenosis at the treated site (10%). During follow up one patient developed an IMA stenosis at a previous dissection site in the body of the graft that was treated with angioplasty. These results suggest that IMA angioplasty in patients with rest angina is associated with excellent long term patency and clinical efficacy, as well as low procedural risk.

We present a 58-yr-old woman with unstable angina due to a coronary steal phenomenon down a bronchial side branch draining into the pulmonary circulation, 1 yr after coronary bypass grafting. The patient was cured of angina pectoris after microcoil embolization of the bronchial side branch.

We describe the first reported case of an internal mammary artery originating from the junction of the left subclavian artery and aorta. Noting this, along with other reported anomalies and various pathologic conditions, it appears warranted to perform routine preoperative internal mammary artery angiography before coronary artery bypass surgery.

Selective cannulation of the mammary artery can be time consuming and carries a risk of arterial injury. The nonselective technique described here is faster, safer, and as reliable as the standard selective technique. A consecutive series of patients with previous coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) were randomized to undergo either selective or nonselective mammary artery angiography. Selective angiography was performed using the standard selective technique. Nonselective angiography was performed by placing a standard catheter in the subclavian artery and hand injecting 10 ml of contrast while inflating a blood pressure cuff 10 mm above the systolic pressure in the ipsilateral arm. Fifty-six patients were studied, 30 patients selectively, and 26 patients nonselectively. The time to visualize adequately both native and grafted mammary arteries in the selective group was 4.83 + 5.00 min and in the nonselective group 1.76 + 1.16 minutes (P = 0.006). A nonselective technique for visualizing the mammary artery is significantly faster and as reliable as the standard selective technique.

The role of routine selective angiography of the internal mammary artery prior to myocardial revascularization is controversial. We report a patient with coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease in whom the left internal mammary artery supplied blood flow to the left external iliac artery via a collateral network. Thus, selective angiography of the internal mammary artery did play a major role in the proper management of this patient who required coronary bypass surgery. A major potential postoperative complication of left lower extremity ischemia may have been prevented.

Coronary artery steal via a large unligated intercoastal side-branch of the internal mammary artery graft has been previously described in two case reports. We report a series of 7 patients with post-operative angina in whom microcoil embolization of such branch was performed. In 5 patients in whom complete occlusion of the branch was achieved, anginal symptoms were relieved; in contrast the 2 patients with persistent flow through the intercostal branch remained symptomatic despite all their grafts being widely patent. We conclude that large unligated intercostal branches of the IMA graft may be related with post-operative angina and their embolization is a simple, safe, and effective procedure.

Total occlusion of a left internal mammary artery (LIMA) bypass graft is a rare complication, and reversal of a documented occlusion has not been reported. This is a case of an early postoperative occlusion of a LIMA graft that was found to be patent 4 months later. A patient with three vessel disease (including a moderate lesion in the proximal left anterior descending artery and a severe lesion in its mid-portion) underwent coronary artery bypass grafting with a LIMA to the mid-left anterior descending artery (LAD) and saphenous vein grafts to the right coronary and left circumflex arteries. Coronary angiography 3 months after surgery revealed a totally occluded internal mammary artery and saphenous vein grafts. The patient then underwent a successful angioplasty of the more distal lesion in the LAD. She subsequently returned with recurrent angina. Repeat coronary angiography revealed rapid progression of the disease in the proximal LAD with the more distal angioplasty site being widely patent. Selective arteriography of the internal mammary artery at that time revealed a patent vessel. Thus, the internal mammary graft is a physiologically active conduit that is dependent on flow dynamics. Competitive flow through the nonobstructive native LAD in combination with impedance of flow through the internal mammary artery due to a severe lesion in the LAD distal to the anastomosis led to a functionally occluded LIMA. When the obstruction in the proximal LAD progressed and the distal obstruction was successfully angioplastied, the flow dynamics in the internal mammary improved, allowing for its dilatation and restoration of patency.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Angioplasty of the distal anastomosis site of a markedly tortuous left internal mammary artery (LIMA)--anterior descending artery is described. Tortuosity of LIMA was negotiated using the Tracker-Seeker catheter guidewire system. Angioplasty was then performed using the conventional technique.

A 55-year-old man developed recurrent angina pectoris 2 years after coronary artery bypass grafting. Cardiac catheterization demonstrated that the venous grafts were patent, but selective left internal mammary angiogram showed multiple fistulous connections between the internal mammary artery and the pulmonary vasculature of the left upper lobe. After surgical correction of the fistula, the angina resolved. Only three previous cases of acquired internal mammary artery graft fistulas draining to the pulmonary vasculature have been described. The etiology, clinical presentation, and management of an internal mammary artery fistula to the pulmonary vasculature are discussed.

Left internal mammary artery (LIMA) angiography was performed with diagnostic coronary angiography in 130 cases for which the coronary findings made use of the LIMA as a bypass graft a consideration. In 98% of the cases the approach to LIMA angiography was femoral with a 5F LIMA catheter first directed into the proximal subclavian and then advanced over a guidewire placed into the distal subclavian well beyond the origin of the LIMA. After withdrawing the wire the catheter was brought proximally to selectively cannulate and visualize the LIMA with nonionic contrast media. The only complication was a single transient occipital visual field loss. LIMA caliber too narrow to permit use as a graft was found twice, LIMA occlusion unrelated to prior surgery was found once, and LIMA occlusion related to prior surgery was found twice. Subclavian and/or vertebral stenosis was present five times. Large proximal branches of the LIMA best identified prior to surgery were present 12 times. Based on this experience, LIMA angiography 1) can be performed safely with a high degree of success, 2) demonstrates significant findings in 15% of cases, and 3) should therefore be performed whenever coronary angiographic findings make it appropriate to consider LIMA to coronary artery bypass grafting.

To compare discomfort caused by ioxaglate and iopamidol, 25 patients scheduled for coronary angiography including internal mammary arteriography were studied. Each patient received both agents. Data were available on 22 randomly selected patients who completed the protocol. Two patients were withdrawn because of unsuccessful internal mammary artery cannulation and one because of idiosyncratic reaction to diazepam. After the internal mammary artery injections, the short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) was completed to evaluate the patient response. Ioxaglate caused significantly less discomfort than iopamidol. Word scale (WS) p less than .05; visual analog scale (VAS) p less than .05. We conclude that ioxaglate is much better tolerated than iopamidol in internal mammary arteriography.

We describe a case of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in which we implanted a balloon expandable Palmaz-Schatz stent into a high-grade restenosed lesion at the origin of the left internal mammary graft.

Despite its tortuous course and small caliber, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty of the internal mammary artery can be performed with a high initial success rate (82-94%). The successful deployment of a balloon expandable coil stent at the mid-right internal mammary artery in a patient with recurrent stenosis of that graft is reported.

Up to 90% of coronary bypass operations in some centers now include at least one IMA graft. In parallel with the increased use of IMA grafts, our catheterization laboratory records for 1986-7-8 demonstrate a progressive increase in IMA angiography, both absolutely (11, 28, 48 cases/yr) and as a percent of restudy procedures performed after prior bypass (14, 25, 43%). Unfortunately, these records also show that cannulation of the right and left IMAs may involve substantial technical hurdles, resulting in a mean time of 19 +/- 19 min from catheter insertion to selective IMA angiography. Based on this experience, we review a standard technique for IMA angiography using preformed catheters, and describe alternative methods (including use of PTCA guidewires with or without super-selective catheters, and non-selective angiography utilizing a specially designed balloon occlusion catheter).

A successful percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the distal anastomosis of a tortuous left internal mammary artery graft to the left anterior descending coronary artery was complicated by the development of a focal lesion in the mid-graft region. Dilatation at the site failed to improve the angiographic appearance. Withdrawal of the guidewire resulted in immediate resolution of the apparent mid-graft lesion. The abnormality is felt to have been due to torsion of the graft upon itself, caused by guidewire and balloon catheter manipulation.

In preparation for coronary bypass surgery, digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was used to assess the caliber of the left and right internal mammary arteries and to exclude stenoses of their feeding arteries. In 100 patients (86 males, mean age 56 +/- 9 years) DSA was performed with a Siemens Digitron 2 device. A frontal projection was used in 18 patients, and a 10-20 degree right anterior oblique projection was used in 82 patients. The flow was 10 to 25 ml/sec; 20 ml was injected in 45 patients, 30 ml in 41, 40 ml in 5, 50 ml in 8, and 60 ml in 1 patient. Judged on the proximal third, visualization of the left and the right internal mammary artery was good in 80 and 72, fair in 17 and 20, and bad in 3 and 8 arteries, respectively. The diameter (mm) was 2.7 +/- 0.4 (range 1.8-3.4) and 2.7 +/- 0.3 (range 2.0-3.5), and visible length (cm) was 8 +/- 5 (range 1-24) and 9 +/- 4 (range 2-22) for the two arteries, respectively. The 10-20 degree right anterior oblique view separated the left internal mammary artery better from the descending aorta than the frontal view. In more pronounced right anterior oblique views the ascending aorta interfered with the right internal mammary artery. The quality was not different with 20 ml or 30 ml injections. The feeding arteries could not be assessed in 4 patients. One left subclavian artery was found occluded at the orifice. Incidentally, 2 distal right subclavian stenoses and 2 carotid stenoses were detected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The first reported case of a patient with left internal mammary artery bypass graft dissection secondary to selective coronary and graft arteriography is presented. The intimal tear and false lumen could not be seen with flouroscopy during catheterization. This later led to antero-septal myocardial infarction.

The radiographic anatomy of the IMAs is described based on bilateral selective arteriography in 100 patients with coronary artery disease. The right and left IMAs were identical in caliber in their mid portions in 94% of cases. Fifteen percent of the IMAs measured less than 2 mm in luminal diameter at the level of the fourth costal cartilage. The side branches showed a great deal of variability and asymmetry in their origin and distribution. The understanding of the radiographic anatomy of the IMA and its branches is helpful in preoperative appraisal and is crucial for postoperative evaluation of the IMA grafts.

A technique for catheterization of both internal mammary arteries (IMAs) by right brachial approach is described. A special preformed catheter was used in 75 patients with coronary artery disease, including ten patients with direct IMA grafts. No complications occurred. The IMAs were studied to examine the question of their usefulness in direct myocardial revascularization. There were individual variations in the size of IMAS with poor correlation to age (r = -0.432)) and body surface area (r = 0.517). Seventy percent of the women had adequate IMAs. The IMA diameter was equal to or larger than the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in 72% and the right coronary artery (RCA) in 34% of comparisons. Of the ten patients with direct IMA grafts, three instances of large side branches were seen. These branches appeared to carry large flows at the expense of the grafted coronary artery. Preoperative internal mammary arteriography should be done if the use of this vessel is contemplated in direct myocardial revascularization to assure the use of an IMA of adequate caliber compared to the recipient coronary artery. The side branches should be meticulously ligated during the operation.

A new technique for angiography of the contralateral internal mammary artery via the brachial artery approach is described. A Simmons (sidewinder) catheter is maneuvered into the ascending aorta and is rotated as to assume its performed shape. The catheter is advanced into the contralateral subclavian artery beyond the internal mammary artery. With the aid of an exchange wire, the Simmons catheter is replaced with a preformed internal mammary angiographic catheter. The internal mammary artery is cannulated, and angiography is performed. Fifty patients were successfully studied by means of this technique without incident. In 20 cases, the ipsilateral internal mammary artery was subsequently visualized. Brachial angiographers may prefer to add this technique to their repertoire.

To compare ioxaglate with the traditional agent diatrizoate, 44 patients scheduled to undergo coronary angiography that included internal mammary artery (IMA) visualization were entered into a randomized double blind-parallel design protocol. Complete data were collected on 32 out of 44. Four patients were withdrawn because of angiographically normal coronary arteries; seven, because of unsuccessful IMA cannulation; and one, because of an anaphylaxis-like reaction to ioxaglate. No other serious adverse effects were seen with either agent. The major endpoints were patient and physician assessments of discomfort, rated independently on a 4-point scale. Ioxaglate caused significantly less discomfort (n = 17, median rating of "mild discomfort") than did diatrizoate (n = 15, median rating of "severe discomfort"; P less than 0.01); this effect was independent of patient sex, the number of injections, and the volume of dye injected. Radiographic quality was good with both agents. We conclude that ioxaglate is much better tolerated than diatrizoate during angiography of the IMA.