Extrathoracic bypass for stenosis of innominate artery.

Stenosis of the innominate artery usually occurs in older patients in whom the risks of conventional, corrective procedures such as transthoracic endarterectomy or aorto-innominate arterial bypass grafting are quite high. An axillo-axillary bypass procedure was performed in a high-risk patient with innominate arterial stenosis who had repeated episodes of transient cerebral ischemia due to decreased blood flow through the right carotid artery and reversal of blood flow through the right vertebral artery. Postoperatively, he has had dramatic improvement in his symptoms. Because of its simplicity, avoidance of major thoracotomy, avoidance of temporary occlusion of the carotid artery, and excellent late results, axillo-axillary bypass grafting is being proposed as the procedure of choice for stenosis of the innominate artery.