Vineberg operation: a successful case 35 years later.

Abstract

The Vineberg operation was introduced by Dr Arthur Vineberg in the early 1940s for revascularization of ischemic cardiac tissue with direct implantation of the left internal mammary artery into ventricular myocardium. We report the case of an 81-year-old man who presented to the Veterans Administration Medical Center with progressive shortness of breath during the course of 1 year. The patient's history was significant for multiple cardiac interventions, the most notable of which included a Vineberg operation in 1970. The patient underwent coronary angiography showing a patent Vineberg implant with myocardial blushing approximately 35 years after initial surgery. Here we report the significance of this finding and possible implications for the future of cardiology and cardiac surgery.