[Coronary surgery--arterial grafts instead of venous grafts?].
BACKGROUND
Recurrence of symptoms and the need for repeat interventions remains a clinical challenge following coronary artery bypass surgery, despite excellent early results. Saphenous vein graft failure has been identified as a main contributing factor to unsatisfactory long-term results. The use of multiple arterial grafts instead of venous grafts appears to be a promising treatment modality. This article describes our own experience with arterial revascularisation and gives a critical review of the literature.


METHODS
Extended arterial revascularisation was performed in 30 patients at our institution between 1998 and 2001. Clinical follow-up was performed in all patients; re-angiography was done in six patients. 23 patients were operated on with bilateral mammary arteries; 11 patients received radial artery grafts.


RESULTS
The median follow up was 12 months. All patients are alive, none suffered a new myocardial infarction. Our results are in accordance with the published literature.


CONCLUSIONS
Arterial grafting is a valuable tool in the armamentarium of modern coronary artery bypass surgery. Large randomised trials are required to clarify the role of extended arterial grafting in routine coronary bypass surgery.
Wahba
Alexander
A
Hjerteklinikken St. Elisabeth 7018 Trondheim. alexander.wahba@rit.no
Tjomsland
Ole
O
Haaverstad
Rune
R
Karevold
Asbjørn
A
D000368:Aged; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008323:Mammary Arteries / Q000637:transplantation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization / Q000379:methods*; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000637:transplantation*; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome