title: Composite arterial grafting with double skeletonized internal thoracic arteries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Composite arterial grafting is a surgical technique for arterial myocardial revascularization, in which free arterial conduits are proximally anastomosed end-to-side to an intact internal thoracic artery (ITA). This report describes technical aspects and results of composite grafting using bilateral skeletonized ITAs.
  
  
  METHODS
  From April 1996 to February 1999, 1057 patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using bilateral skeletonized internal thoracic arteries. In 600 of them (57%), composite arterial grafting was performed. There were 452 men and 148 women. The mean age was 69 +/- 7 years. Two-hundred and six patients (34%) were diabetics, 84 (14%) had severe left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction of < 35%), and 26 (4.3%) underwent emergency operations. In 574 patients, the right ITA was used as a free graft connected to the in-situ left ITA. In 26, the free left ITA was attached to the in-situ right ITA, and in 38, mini-composite grafts (free distal left ITA on the left ITA, or free distal right ITA on the right ITA) were constructed. The average number of grafts was 3.0/patient (range, 2--6).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The operative mortality was 2.8% (n = 17), and there were ten (1.7%), deep sternal wound infections. The mean follow-up was 25 months (range, 14--36 months). The 3-year survival was 92.5%. Ninety-seven percent of the surviving patients were angina-free.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We currently perform this surgery routinely in most patients referred for CABG, and regard bilateral skeletonized internal thoracic arteries as the most appropriate arterial conduits for the composite technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery, The Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv 64239, Israel. pevni@tasmc.health.gov.il
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pevni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Paz
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lev-Run
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Locker
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsa
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shapira
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mohr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000601:surgery*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013895:Thoracic Arteries / Q000637:transplantation*