[Right-sided intrathoracic bypass grafting for a coarctation of the aorta in an advanced aged woman].

A sixty-two years old woman with a successful bypass grafting for coarctation of the thoracic aorta (Co-A) is presented. She has been suffering from hypertension since her thirties. Preoperative cardiac catheterization demonstrated Co-A with a pressure gradient of 100 mmHg. Angiography revealed the hypoplastic aortic arch with marked calcification and well developed collateral circulation. Right-sided intrathoracic bypass grafting using a 16 mm woven Dacron graft was placed between the ascending and descending aorta via a right sixth intercostal space. The patient had a good postoperative course with reduced pressure gradient of 10 mmHg. We recommend this procedure to be a safe and simple technique that can avoid injury to the collateral circulation to our knowledge, this is the most aged patient who underwent a successful surgical treatment for the Co-A in Japan.