Mitral valve replacement through right thoracotomy after previous coronary artery bypass grafting: the usefulness of brachial artery cannulation, perfused ventricular fibrillation with moderate hypothermia, and minimal dissection techniques.

It has been reported by several authors that a right thoracotomy for mitral valve surgery can be useful after previous coronary aortery bypass grafting (CABG). A 76-year-old man with mitral valve regurgitation after previous CABG underwent mitral valve replacement with some modified techniques. Cardiopulmonary bypass was established with right brachial artery cannulation and right femoral venous cannulation with the aid of vacuum-assisted venous drainage. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) was induced by rapid pacing of the ventricle, and mitral valve replacement was performed under perfused VF with moderate hypothermia. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful. This method appears to be a safe and easy alternative mitral valve surgery for complicated cases of this type.