title: Technical aspects and outcome of in situ right internal thoracic artery grafting to the major branches of the circumflex artery via the transverse sinus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the anatomic limitations of in situ right internal thoracic artery (RITA) grafting to the circumflex artery.
  
  
  METHODS
  To evaluate the technical aspects and outcome of revascularization of the proximal and distal major branches of the circumflex artery (obtuse marginal [OM] branch and posterolateral [PL] branch), a total of 145 patients who possessed a graftable branch of the circumflex artery were enrolled into the prospective project. There were 73 patients who had the PL branch as a primary target and 72 patients with OM branches, which were allocated by a blinded observer who reviewed the preoperative angiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Changes of primary target vessels were required in 9 patients (6.2%), yielding an overall success rate of RITA grafting of 93.8%. The success rates of RITA grafting to the OM branch and the PL branch were 95.8% (69/72; CI 88.3% to 99.1%) and 91.7% (67/73; CI 83.0% to 96.9%), respectively. The univariate analysis identified grafting under hypothermic ventricular fibrillation as predictors of inability to use in situ RITA grafting for revascularization of the circumflex artery. RITA grafting to the PL branch is not identified as a predictor. Postoperative angiography in 136 patients revealed only one occlusion (0.75%) of the RITA graft anastomosed to the marginal artery. There were no significant differences in patency rates between left and right ITA grafts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This prospective study showed that in situ RITA was, in most cases, able to reach most branches of the major circumflex artery and demonstrated an excellent patency rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Kumamoto Central Hospital, Japan. masashiura@hotmail.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ura
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sakata
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oshima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitaoka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001158:Arteries / Q000637:transplantation*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006324:Heart Arrest, Induced; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016896:Treatment Outcome