title: Growth potential of left internal thoracic artery grafts: analysis of angiographic findings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The growth potential of the internal thoracic artery (ITA) is still undetermined, and little is known about the long-term effects of anastomosing it to the coronary artery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-three patients whose left ITA (LITA) had been anastomosed to the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery underwent coronary angiography within 1 month of operation and in late follow-up (mean interval: 4.5 +/- 1.5 years). The diameter ratios of LITA to LAD were designated as the matching ratio.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In follow-up, the diameter of the LITA increased from 1.83 +/- 0.40 to 2.46 +/- 0.53 mm in the 29 patients with progressive proximal native coronary stenosis. However, late results indicate that the matching ratio did not vary according to the location of the LITA anastomosis on the LAD (proximal portion: 1.13 +/- 0.16, distal portion 1.19 +/- 0.13), and reached an upper limit of about 1.4.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Growth potential of the LITA is limited by the diameter of the coronary artery onto which it is anastomosed. The most effective procedure for enhancing the growth potential of the LITA is to anastomose as proximally as possible onto the LAD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Kumamoto Central Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sakata
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013895:Thoracic Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000637:transplantation*