title: Patency of the internal mammary artery used as sequential graft.
abstract: In 28 patients with the left internal mammary artery (IMA) used as a sequential coronary artery graft, clinical and angiographic evaluation was made 19-47 months postoperatively. Patency was 96% in the proximal anastomoses and 93% in all the anastomoses. Angiography, however, showed optimal function in only 75% of the distal graft ends. These observations indicate that routine use of left IMA as a sequential graft should be restricted to experienced surgeons. Clinical and angiographic findings did not always correlate, emphasizing that evaluation of IMA-graft patency should include angiography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aksnes
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nordstrand
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lindberg
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vatne
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Smiseth
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Frøysaker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007387:Internal Mammary-Coronary Artery Anastomosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012008:Recurrence; D014654:Vascular Patency