Early results with intraoperative transluminal coronary artery balloon dilatation.

We used intraoperative transluminal coronary balloon dilatation, together with coronary artery bypass grafting, to obtain complete myocardial revascularization in extensively diseased coronary arteries. Our patient population consisted of ten males and two females, with a mean age of 58 years. The left anterior descending artery was dilated in five patients, the posterior descending artery was dilated in three, the obtuse marginal artery in two, the left circumflex artery in one, and the right coronary artery in one. Additionally, a mean of 2.81 grafts per patient were placed. Hospital mortality was one patient (8.33%). There was also one case of perioperative myocardial infarction. Postoperative angiography was done in seven patients: five were shown to be improved, one had a vessel that appeared unchanged, and one had an occluded vessel. We found intraoperative transluminal coronary balloon dilatation to be a simple and efficient technique that offers potential improvement in myocardial revascularization.