Clinical Outcomes of Integrative Korean Medicine Treatment during Recovery after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting and Aortic Valve Replacement: A Case Report

Objectives: To report the clinical outcomes of integrative Korean medicine treatment in a patient recovering from coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and aortic valve replacement (AVR), focusing on postoperative symptoms, cardiac biomarkers, analgesic use, and glycemic control.Methods: A 69-year-old woman who underwent CABG and AVR was admitted for postoperative rehabilitation because of fatigue, chest discomfort, dyspnea, and general weakness. During hospitalization, she received integrative Korean medicine treatment consisting of herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, and dry cupping in addition to conventional medical therapy. Clinical outcomes included the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for chest pain, the New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Classification, cardiac biomarkers including N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), troponin T, and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), analgesic consumption, and insulin requirements.Results: The VAS score decreased from 5 to 2, and the NYHA Functional Classification improved from Class III to Class I during hospitalization. NT-proBNP decreased from 1,669 pg/mL to 204 pg/mL, troponin T decreased from 0.023 ng/mL to 0.016 ng/mL, and CK-MB decreased from 5.31 ng/mL to 1.84 ng/mL. Analgesic use was gradually reduced from scheduled three-times-daily dosing to pro re nata (PRN) use. Total insulin requirements also decreased during hospitalization, while glycemic control remained stable.Conclusions: Integrative Korean medicine treatment may be beneficial as an adjunctive therapy during postoperative recovery after CABG and AVR, with improvements in clinical symptoms and functional status and favorable changes in cardiac biomarkers, analgesic use, and insulin requirements. Because this single case involved concomitant conventional medical treatment, further well-designed clinical studies are needed to confirm its efficacy and safety.