The role of percutaneous cardiopulmonary support in the treatment of native coronary spasm after coronary artery bypass grafting

Postoperative coronary artery spasm following off-pump coronary artery bypass is a rare and unpredictable complication. The clinical manifestations following spasm vary, depending on the severity or the affected vessels. In serious cases, it can proceed to circulatory collapse and cardiac arrest. Coronary angiography with infusion of coronary vasodilators has been a well-established diagnostic and therapeutic tool. We present a patient who was successfully resuscitated with an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) and percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) as initial stabilization because of an inability to proceed to angiography. Furthermore, we demonstrated the effectiveness of IABP and PCPS for restoring cardiac function.