title: [Failure of coronary artery bypass with the internal thoracic artery. Does extended use of the internal thoracic artery affect the patency of the coronary artery?].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to precise the circumstances of the failure of coronary artery bypass graft by internal thoracic artery (ITA).
  
  
  METHODS
  It was a retrospective study which compared angiographic results between several techniques of ITA graft; 512 coronary artery bypass graft have been realized on 302 patients: 115 single left ITA grafts, 78 sequential left ITA grafts, 48 bilateral pedicled ITA grafts, 61 bilateral ITA Y grafts. The mean interval between operation and reangiography was 17.3 months (s = 4.1 months). Graft failures were occluded and non functioning ITA grafts (threadlike ITA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 11 occluded grafts (2%) and 19 non functionning grafts (4%). There was no difference of failure rate between the 4 techniques of ITA grafts (p > 0.05). The failure rate for right ITA grafts 13% was higher than for the left ITA grafts 4% (p < 0.001). The failure rate for obtuse marginal branch grafts 13% was higher than for left anterior descending artery grafts 3% (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The extended use of ITA doesn't increase the risk of graft failure rate. The patency of obtuse marginal branch ITA graft is less than the patency of left anterior descending artery or diagonal branch ITA grafts.
authors.affiliation: Service de chirurgie cardiaque, thoracique et vasculaire, CHU, La Cavale Blanche, Brest.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bezon
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karaterki
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Barra
mesh_terms: D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000601:surgery*; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D008323:Mammary Arteries / Q000637:transplantation*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency