What level of myocardial bridge requires bypass surgery?

Patients with deeper (>5mm) and longer (>25mm) myocardial bridges require bypass surgery, i.e. coronary artery bypass grafting. Myocardial bridges (MB) are congenital anatomical anomalies of blood vessels. When the myocardium contracts, the epicardial coronary arteries that travel within the myocardium are squeezed, and the myocardium in the corresponding area becomes underperfused. This part of the myocardium overlying the coronary arteries is called a myocardial bridge because it is shaped like a “bridge”. Most myocardial bridges are asymptomatic, but the deeper the myocardial bridge travels, the longer the bridge is, and the more branches it involves, the more likely the patient is to develop clinical symptoms. Depending on the degree of stenosis of the compressed lumen of the systolic coronary artery, myocardial bridges may cause severe myocardial ischemia or even myocardial infarction and sudden death when the degree of stenosis is 75% or more. MB is usually treated with β-blockers and non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, but for patients with symptomatic myocardial bridges that are not treated with medications, choosing surgical treatment is an effective method, mainly coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and myocardial bridge incision and release, myocardial bridge incision and release is suitable for superficial patients, and for the myocardial bridges with a depth of more than 5 mm and a length of more than 25 mm For patients with myocardial bridges deeper than 5mm and longer than 25mm, CABG is a better choice. Myocardial bridges with severe symptoms should be managed in the hospital as soon as possible, with surgical intervention if necessary.