Surgery for advanced gastric cancer after coronary artery bypass grafting using the right gastroepiploic artery: Report of a case

Ischemic heart disorders are often treated by coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using the right gastroepiploic artery (RGEA). We report the case of a 57-year-old man with a history of CABG using the RGEA, who underwent D2 radical total gastrectomy followed by Roux-en-Y anastomosis, with successful dissection of the #6 lymph nodes, while preserving the RGEA. The patient had a 9-month history of gastric cancer, during which time the Maruyama Vaccine (Specific Substance Maruyama, or SSM) was given as alternative therapy. This case report serves to demonstrate that radical gastrectomy can be safely performed after CABG using the RGEA, and that gastric cancer will progress in spite of SSM therapy.