Combined aortocoronary bypass and intraoperative transluminal angioplasty in left main coronary artery disease.

Transaortic intraluminal angioplasty of the left main coronary artery by Grüntzig's technique has been used intraoperatively in 4 patients who underwent multiple aortocoronary bypasses. Angiographic and clinical results were excellent in 3 of them. It is suggested that this combined technique be used to obtain more complete revascularization at the time of coronary artery bypass. The technique is easy to perform without x-ray facilities in the operating room, and it seems reasonable to assume that it may improve the myocardial blood supply of those areas irrigated by small arteries originating between the stenosed main trunk and other subsequent lesions.