Breast necrosis following coronary arterial bypass grafting in the setting of chest radiation

Marc E. Walker, E. Stirling Craig, Victor Zhu, Purav Mody, Stefano Fusi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures today, and the internal mammary artery is the conduit of choice. Though grafting of this vessel leads to a substantial decrease of the blood supplied to the breast, ischemic necrosis of the breast remains a rare phenomenon. In the setting of chest radiation, however, subsequent damage to endothelial cells and fibroblasts can threaten the supplemental vasculature. In this report, we share a recent case of CABG-related breast necrosis in the setting of chest radiation, including presentation, diagnosis, and surgical management. We also discuss a comprehensive review of the CABG-related breast necrosis case literature. With increases in CABG procedures and more refined chemoradiation treatment modalities, it is critical that surgeons interacting with these patients be aware of and prepared to address the potentially great impact that chest radiation can have as a probable independent risk factor in the pathophysiologic pathway of ischemic breast necrosis. Level of Evidence: Level V, therapeutic study.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)109-114
Number of pages6
JournalEuropean Journal of Plastic Surgery
Volume37
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2014
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • CABG
  • Coronary bypass
  • Ischemic breast necrosis
  • Radiation
  • Risk factor

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Surgery

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Breast necrosis following coronary arterial bypass grafting in the setting of chest radiation'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this