Abstract
BACKGROUND: Aortocoronary arteriovenous fistula (ACAVF) due to iatrogenic bypass grafting to a cardiac vein is an exceedingly rare complication resulting from coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. If not identified in a timely fashion, ACAVF has known significant clinical consequences related to left to right shunting and possible residual myocardial ischemia. CASE PRESENTATION: An 82-year-old male with a history of CABG, presented with dyspnea. Over the span of 2 years following CABG, the patient experienced progressive exertional dyspnea and peripheral edema. The patient was found to have a new cardiomyopathy with a severely reduced ejection fraction at 30-35%. The patient underwent diagnostic left heart catheterization, and an ACAVF was discovered between a saphenous vein graft and the coronary sinus. The patient underwent successful percutaneous coiling of the ACAVF with no residual flow. Follow-up echocardiography at 3 months revealed restoration of left ventricular systolic function to 50% and significant improvement in heart failure symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: ACAVF is an exceedingly rare iatrogenic complication of CABG that may result in residual ischemia from the non-grafted myocardial territory and other sequelae relating to left to right shunting and a high-output state. Management for this pathology includes but is not limited to the use of percutaneous coiling, implantation of covered stents, graft removal and regrafting, and ligation.