Cephalic veins in coronary artery bypass surgery.
Various alternative conduits for aortocoronary bypass grafting have been suggested when the saphenous vein quality is inadequate. During a 10-year period we have used the cephalic vein in 39 patients. Eighteen entered an angiographic follow-up study. A total of 31 arm vein grafts were used with 43 distal anastomoses. When calculating patency by number of patent distal anastomoses, this was 46% (median follow-up was 31 months), but calculating by the number of patent grafts we found 52% patency (median follow-up 31 months). In conclusion, we discourage others from using arm veins in aortocoronary bypass operations.
Licht
P
P
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Odense University Hospital, Denmark.
Jacobsen
E
E
Lerbjerg
G
G
Andersen
P E
PE
Alstrup
P
P
D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D002423:Cause of Death; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality; D015996:Survival Rate; D014680:Veins / Q000637:transplantation*