Extra Anatomic Bypass of Coarctation of the Aorta in an Adolescent: Avoiding Spinal Cord Ischemia

Abstract

Coarctation of the aorta in an adult patient often requires extra-anatomic bypass techniques. Posterior pericardial bypass technique is one among the various techniques that has been described where a Dacron conduit is anastomosed between the lateral aspect of the ascending aorta and the descending thoracic aorta posterior to the pericardium. In the present patient, we describe an additional femoral artery canulation via a graft anastomosed end-to-side to the femoral artery to avoid spinal cord ischemia during the period that the descending aorta is clamped for anastomosis of the conduit.