Atherosclerotic disruption of the aortic arch during coronary artery bypass operation

A 70-year-old-man presented with a symptomatic three vessel coronary artery disease and was scheduled for myocardial revascularization. During extraco rporeal circulation an intrathoracal bleeding occurred and aortic rupture w as suspected, An iatrogenic plaque rupture in the concavity of the aortic a rch was found due to cannulation attempts, The aortic arch was grafted in t he so-called elephant trunk technique, Thereafter bypass grafts were anasto mosed to the stenosed coronary arteries. The patient was discharged from ho spital after 2 weeks in good condition. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.