title: Routine use of unilateral and bilateral radial arteries for coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study sought to evaluate the routine use of radial artery (RA) grafts in patients undergoing coronary artery revascularization.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Previous long-term studies have documented poor patency of saphenous vein grafts compared with internal thoracic artery (ITA) grafts.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a prospective review of 175 of 249 consecutive patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-four patients had bilateral RAs harvested. Mean number (+/- SD) of grafts/patient was 3.27 +/- 0.93, with 2.76 +/- 0.97 arterial grafts; a mean of 1.53 +/- 0.68 grafts were performed with the RA. The operative mortality rate was 1.6%. No deaths were related to RA grafts, and there were no RA harvest site hematomas or infections. Transient dysesthesia 1 day to 4 weeks in duration occurred in the distribution of the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve in six extremities (2.6%). Elective cardiac catheterization in 60 patients at 12 weeks postoperatively demonstrated a 95.7% patency rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because of potential benefit of long-term patency associated with arterial grafts, minimal morbidity and mortality associated with use of the RA and excellent short-term patency rates, we cautiously recommend use of one or both RAs as additional conduits to be used concomitantly with the ITA for arterial revascularization of the coronary arteries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York 10467, USA.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Brodman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Frame
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Camacho
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hollinger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000637:transplantation*; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000637:transplantation; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency