The cardiac surgeon occasionally may encounter a diseased or rigidly calcified aorta in the patient requiring myocardial revascularization. In this paper, a 72-year-old woman who suffered from neurological injury following coronary artery bypass grafting due to embolization of atheromatous debris from the calcified ascending aorta was described. A review of the literature was also performed to emphasize the importance of the recognition, and management of the calcified and diseased ascending aorta.