In 306 patients who underwent elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) between January 2005 and July 2008, low cardiac functions (EF<35%) were seen in 24 patients. Of these, 7 (EF, 22.7±5.4%, NYHA 3.4±0.4) had a left ventricular epicardial lead implanted during surgery. On completion of bypass anastomosis, a screw-in-type epicardial lead was implanted. The mean threshold at implantation was satisfactory (1.1±0.4 V). There were no complications related to intraoperative lead placement. In the aforementioned 7 patients, combined Cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) implantation was performed in 4 during the postoperative period while they were still in the hospital. In 1 other patient, the procedure was conducted when he was readmitted for heart failure 3 months after discharge. The threshold for the left ventricular myocardial lead was satisfactory (1.0±0.1 V). No postoperative complications, such as infections, hemorrhage, or twitching, were noted. For those patients who are likely to have a CRT-D placed after CABG, a left ventricular lead showed be implanted if possible for the safe and fast postoperative placemens of a defibrillator. However, the indications of myocardial lead implantation must be considered carefully.

In 306 patients who underwent elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) between January 2005 and July 2008, low cardiac functions (EF<35%) were seen in 24 patients. Of these, 7 (EF, 22.7±5.4%, NYHA 3.4±0.4) had a left ventricular epicardial lead implanted during surgery. On completion of bypass anastomosis, a screw-in-type epicardial lead was implanted. The mean threshold at implantation was satisfactory (1.1±0.4 V). There were no complications related to intraoperative lead placement. In the aforementioned 7 patients, combined Cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) implantation was performed in 4 during the postoperative period while they were still in the hospital. In 1 other patient, the procedure was conducted when he was readmitted for heart failure 3 months after discharge. The threshold for the left ventricular myocardial lead was satisfactory (1.0±0.1 V). No postoperative complications, such as infections, hemorrhage, or twitching, were noted. For those patients who are likely to have a CRT-D placed after CABG, a left ventricular lead showed be implanted if possible for the safe and fast postoperative placemens of a defibrillator. However, the indications of myocardial lead implantation must be considered carefully.

Patients on chronic hemodialysis, undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) have high perioperative mortality and morbidity. In order to reduce the perioperative risks, we performed intraoperative hemodiafiltration (HDF) during off-pump CABG (OPCAB). A 62 year-old-man, who had been on dialysis for 2 years, was admitted with a sensation of chest compression. A coronary angiography revealed 75% stenosis with severe calcification in the left anterior descending artery and 90% stenosis in the second diagonal branch. During the operation, veno-venous HDF was started, using a double lumen catheter that was introduced into the femoral vein at the same time that a skin incision was made. During the exposure of the diagonal branch by rotating the heart, the blood flow of HDF was decreased and dehydration was halted to avoid hemodynamic deterioration. The patient was extubated 1.5h after the operation and did not require continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF) in the intensive care unit (ICU). Routine hemodialysis was restarted on the 3rd postoperative day. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged to home on the 11th postoperative day. HDF during OPCAB for this chronic dialysis patient was observed to be effective and yielded an excellent postoperative recovery without CHDF in the ICU.