title: Comparative study of harvest-site complications following coronary artery bypass grafting between the radial artery and the saphenous vein in identical patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the early outcome for complications associated with the radial artery harvest site, in comparison to using the saphenous vein, in patients harvested for both vessels.
  
  
  METHODS
  During the last 2 years, 134 radial arteries were used in 133 patients, and the saphenous vein was also concomitantly used in 94 patients. We assessed the post-harvest forearm perception using a questionnaire that contained two statements regarding pain and numbness in those 94 patients. The incidences of the harvest-site hematoma and infection were also compared between both the arms and legs where the grafts were harvested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Numbness of the harvest site was indicated in 26.6% (radial artery) and 33.0% (saphenous vein), respectively (P = 0.4252). Hematoma was found in 6.4% and 12.8%, respectively (P = 0.2152). On the other hand, the incidences of pain and wound infection were significantly lower in the radial artery sites (pain: 1.1% vs 23.4%, P = 0.0002; infection: 2.1% vs 11.7%, P = 0.0182).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our early experience suggests that the use of the radial artery is safe and also demonstrates a lower incidence of harvest-site complications than saphenous vein harvesting in patients where both vessels are used as harvest sites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Ooyaguchi, Kamimachi, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-8610, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsumasa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.forename: Motomi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shiono
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sezai
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iida
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saitoh
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wakui
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soeda
authors.forename: Nanao
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Negishi
authors.forename: Yukiyasu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sezai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000637:transplantation*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000637:transplantation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome