Coronary artery spasm during anesthesia for liver resection

Abstract

Intraoperative coronary artery spasm (CAS) is rare, and most cases have been reported during cardiac surgery (4, 7, 12). The following is a case report of a patient undergoing liver resection developing CAS, resulting in well-documented ST-segment elevation in lead II and V5 of the electrocardiogram (ECG) and severe hemodynamic instability. The coronary spasm was successfully treated with intravenous nitroglycerin. Postoperatively, a coronary angiogram documented CAS in the absence of significant coronary artery disease, confirming the clinical diagnosis of CAS.