title: The importance of intraoperative angiographic findings for predicting long-term patency in coronary artery bypass operations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The quality of anastomosis is the cornerstone in coronary artery bypass operations. Intraoperative coronary angiography confirms graft patency with the possibility to revise graft failure. The aim of this study was to describe the lesions found at "on-table" angiography, and to evaluate the significance of these immediate angiographic findings for the long-term patency.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 57 grafts (42 left internal mammary artery grafts and 15 saphenous vein grafts) in 45 patients who underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass operations were included. On-table angiography was carried out with fixed angiographic equipment installed in the operating room. Follow-up angiographies were performed at 3 months and at 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most frequent finding in an on-table angiogram was spasm, which was not present at follow-up. Out of nine kinks, only one developed into a significant stenosis at follow-up. Of 44 grafts that were normal on-table, 37 (84%) were normal at the follow-up. Of 11 grafts with significant lesions on-table, eight (73%) were normal at the follow-up. Five percent of the grafts were revised because of the on-table angiography.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  On-table angiograms can be occasionally difficult to interpret because not all findings are important for later patency. Optimal results on-table predict good long-term results with a negative predictive value of 0.84, whereas significant lesions on-table have less impact on the follow-up results because the positive predictive value was only 0.38.
authors.affiliation: The Interventional Centre and the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Rikshospitalet, University of Oslo, Norway. per.kristian.hol@rikshospitalet.no
authors.forename: Per K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Hol
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fosse
authors.forename: Runar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lundblad
authors.forename: Sigurd
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nitter-Hauge
authors.forename: Paulina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Due-Tønnessen
authors.forename: Karleif
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vatne
authors.forename: Hans-Jørgen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014654:Vascular Patency