Unexpected porcelain aorta after sternotomy for aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass surgery: aortic balloon valvuloplasty as a bail-out procedure.

We describe the case of a man requiring aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting in whom a porcelain aorta was detected at surgery. Two coronary artery bypass grafts were done on a heart beating under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Weaning from CPB was impossible owing to the untouched aortic stenosis. A balloon aortic valvuloplasty was performed and CPB successfully weaned. Transapical aortic valve implantation was successfully performed 3 weeks later.