Myocardial bridging prevents safe laparoscopy? A case report.

A 49-year-old male presented with atypical chest pain. Complete cardiac evaluation was normal except for cardiac catheterization, which revealed a myocardial bridge across the LAD (left anterior descending coronary artery) that caused a 50% systolic stenosis. Abdominal ultrasound revealed cholelithiasis. The patient became asymptomatic and was discharged only to return with biliary pancreatitis, which resolved over 2 weeks and laparoscopic cholecystectomy was attempted. Upon establishment of a pneumoperitoneum, he began to suffer cardiac ischemia, which immediately resolved upon desufflation. The procedure was converted to an uneventful open cholecystectomy. He did well without any further problems. This is the first report of myocardial bridging, a well-known cardiac anomaly, possibly preventing safe laparoscopy. This was possibly due to transmitted intraperitoneal pressure effect on the pericardium pushing closed that myocardial bridge.