Use of axillary artery to maintain cerebral perfusion in a patient requiring reconstruction of the brachiocephalic trunk and coronary arteries: technical note.

Our patient had 80% stenosis of the brachiocephalic artery and total occlusion of the left carotid and left subclavian arteries. Ascending aorta to brachiocephalic artery bypass grafting was performed, with a 10 mm Dacron graft. The right axillary artery was cannulated, and during construction of the distal anastomosis cerebral blood flow was from the right axillary artery. We believe this technique may be beneficial in surgery on an artery in which cerebral blood flow depends exclusively.