A case of a coronary covered stent for repeated restenosis at the anastomosis site between saphenous vein graft and graft prosthesis

A 56-year-old man was admitted with a diagnosis of non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, after surgery for total arch replacement, aortic root replacement with a mechanical aortic valve, and coronary artery reconstruction by the Piehler method for acute aortic dissection. Coronary angiography (CAG) revealed a 99% stenosis of the anastomosis site between the J Graft (Japan Lifeline, Tokyo, Japan) and the saphenous vein graft (SVG), which was distally sutured to his right coronary artery (posterior descending artery). After percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with a drug-eluting stent to the anastomosis site, repeated in-stent restenosis unfortunately occurred. Despite repeated PCIs, he was again admitted due to exertional angina pectoris, with proven inferior myocardial ischemia by stress myocardial perfusion imaging. We therefore decided to use a coronary covered stent for the anastomosis site to seal neointimal proliferation. GRAFTMASTER 2.8/19 mm (Abbott, CA, USA) was implanted in the anastomosis site, and a follow-up CAG one-year later revealed that the covered stent was clearly opened. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper to demonstrate the usefulness of a covered stent for repeated restenosis of the anastomosis site between SVG and graft prostheses. <Learning objective: A coronary covered stent is a stent with a membrane designed to seal the rupture site in cases with a coronary rupture. However, coronary covered stent implantation is an optional method in cases with repeated restenosis of the anastomosis site between the saphenous vein graft and graft prosthesis.>.