Anomalous Origin of the Circumflex Artery: An Underestimated Threat During Mitral Valve Operation

Abstract

Ischemic iatrogenic lesions can complicate surgical procedures on the mitral valve. One of the causative mechanisms is direct injury to or distortion of the circumflex coronary artery. The risk of damaging the circumflex coronary artery depends mainly on the proximity of that vessel to the posterior segment of the mitral annulus, and this varies from patient to patient. Herein, we report the case of an iatrogenic circumflex coronary artery lesion after mitral annuloplasty in a patient with an anomalous origin of the circumflex artery.