title: Postoperative changes in angiographically normal saphenous vein coronary bypass grafts using intravascular ultrasound.
abstract: We examined the process of vessel wall thickening in angiographically normal saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) using intravascular ultrasound. Fifteen SVGs were studied in the early stage (within 1 month postoperatively) and 14 SVGs in the late stage (over 6 months postoperatively). Lumen cross-sectional area (CSA) and vessel CSA were measured. Vessel wall area (VWA) was calculated and %VWA was defined as VWA / vessel CSA. Vessel CSA, VWA, and %VWA were significantly larger in the late stage than in the early stage (28.8 vs 21.6 mm(2), 15.8 vs 5.3 mm(2), 55.7% vs 24.9%, respectively) and lumen CSA was smaller in the late stage (12.8 vs 16.2 mm(2)). VWA correlated with vessel CSA, but not with lumen CSA. The time course of %VWA showed that %VWA in the late stage was a plateau state. From these findings, we concluded that the wall thickening process in SVGs begins within 6 months postoperatively and is accompanied by compensatory vessel enlargement.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Division, Osaka Police Hospital, 10-31 Kitayama-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka 543-0035, Japan. higuchi-yaj@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yoshiharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hirayama
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakakibara
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kodama
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011859:Radiography; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000637:transplantation; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional