Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting for Kawasaki Disease

Five patients with a history of Kawasaki disease underwent coronary revascularization at Children's Memorial Hospital (1988-2000). Acute disease occurred at 11 weeks to 5 years of age and revascularization procedures were performed at 8 months to 12 years (mean 6 years; interval from disease onset 5 months to 9 years). Surgical indications included abnormal stress testing with angiographic confirmation of severe coronary artery stenosis (n = 3), severe coronary artery stenosis with echocardiographic evidence of intracoronary thrombus (n = 1), and ischemic electrocardiogram changes and ventricular tachycardia during angiography (n = 1). All revascularization procedures used internal thoracic arteries including one free internal thoracic artery graft. There were no postoperative deaths (follow-up 1 month to 11 years). All patients are asymptomatic. One patient developed myocardial ischemia 4 years postoperatively with occlusion of the circumflex coronary artery (not previously grafted). This was treated successfully with percutaneous coronary angioplasty and stent placement. All grafts are patent with the exception of a single right internal thoracic artery graft which underwent involution 30 months postprocedure with concurrent recannulization of the right coronary artery. Coronary revascularization should be considered in the young patient with severe coronary abnormalities secondary to Kawasaki disease.