title: Hospital outcome after aorta-radial versus internal thoracic artery-radial artery grafts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We researched our data to determine whether use of radial artery (RA) led to similar hospital morbidity as use of pedicled internal thoracic artery (ITA) with vein grafts. We also investigated if use of RA, different RA operative techniques, or number of inflow grafts were predictors for hospital outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospectively the hospital outcome of the first 512 patients with RAs (RA group) was compared with 108 matched patients with left ITA (LITA) and vein grafts (LITA control group). Two subgroups of RA operative techniques were further analyzed: 327 patients with RA directly from aorta (aorta-RA group), and 185 patients with RA from ITA, as a composite graft, (ITA-RA group).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hospital outcome of the RA group was similar to that of the LITA control group. When all ischemic events (IE) were grouped together, univariate analysis showed that aorta-RA group resulted in less IE than the ITA-RA group (2.1% versus 5.9%, respectively, p = 0.025). Number of inflow grafts did not influence IE. Multivariate analysis, however, did not show that technique of proximal RA anastomosis or number of inflow grafts were predictors for IE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hospital outcome after the use of the RA is similar to that of LITA with vein grafts. Univariate analysis shows less IE after direct aorta-RA anastomoses, but multivariate analysis did not show that technique of proximal RA anastomosis and number of inflow grafts are important predictors for hospital outcome.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardio-thoracic Surgery, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. eberr@csi.com
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Berreklouw
authors.forename: Esmeralda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pompei
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: H Ibrahim
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: Joost
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: ter Woorst
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D001011:Aorta / Q000601:surgery*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008323:Mammary Arteries / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000637:transplantation*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000637:transplantation; D016896:Treatment Outcome