Damage to the circumflex coronary artery during mitral valve repair with sliding leaflet technique

We report a case of damage to the circumflex coronary artery during mitral valve repair using sliding leaflet technique in a patient with a posterior mitral leaflet prolapse and coronary artery disease who underwent mitral valve reconstruction using Carpentier's technique and coronary artery bypass grafting. This case underscores the risk of circumflex coronary artery injury during mitral valve reconstruction, especially in patients with left coronary dominance or codominance, and therefore emphasizes the importance of knowing the coronary artery anatomy preoperatively. The use of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography is mandatory for the evaluation of mitral valvuloplasty. (C) 1998 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.