[A right internal thoracic artery graft to the left anterior descending artery].
From 1987 to 1991, 48 patients received a right internal thoracic artery (RITA) to the left anterior descending artery (LAD). No operative death occurred, but two patients (4.2%) died during hospitalization due to graft versus host disease, and congestive heart failure. Graft patency of the RITA was 100%. After a 17.2 month mean follow-up, the 4 year actuarial survival rate (including all causes of death) was 85.3%, and the 4 year cumulative cardiac event free rate (including all cardiac deaths, myocardial infarction, reoperation, and PTCA) was 87.6%. The length of the RITA graft to the LAD, 15.6 +/- 1.1 cm, was significantly longer than that of the left internal thoracic artery (LITA) to the LAD, 12.9 +/- 1.1 cm. However, the flow of the RITA-LAD graft, 42.3 +/- 21.1 ml/min, was same as the flow of the LITA to the LAD, 42.1 +/- 19.6 ml/min. These findings justify wider use of the RITA to the LAD as a second arterial graft.
Nishida
H
H
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Heart Institute of Japan, Tokyo Women's Medical College.
Tagusari
O
O
Yamaki
F
F
Hayashi
K
K
Hirota
J
J
Koyanagi
T
T
Shiikawa
A
A
Nakano
K
K
Endo
M
M
Koyanagi
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007387:Internal Mammary-Coronary Artery Anastomosis / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015996:Survival Rate; D014654:Vascular Patency