Coronary Artery Bypass Graft in a Patient Who Had Increased Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) and Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) Levels after Treatment with Heparin / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

Cardiac surgery using heparin was performed in a patient in whom AST and ALT had been increased due to continuous drip infusion of heparin sodium. Here, we report postoperative changes in AST and ALT in the patient. The patient was a 59-year-old man with a past medical history of left internal carotid artery constriction and right cerebral infarction. Because of his previous medical history, continuous drip infusion of heparin was initiated upon discontinuation of preoperative antithrombotic agents. AST and ALT increased, but returned to normal levels when heparin was discontinued. Heparin was used to avoid aggravation of the symptoms, and bypass of 3 branches was performed with pulsation. Postoperative respiration and circulatory dynamics were stable, and the courses of AST and ALT were similar to those after general surgery, without abnormally high levels. Although the cause of heparin-induced increases in AST and ALT is unknown, the absence of postoperative increases may have been due to transient use at a high dose and neutralization by protamine.