Anastomosis of small arteries: implications for coronary artery grafts in Asians.
The internal mammary artery (IMA) in patients with small body surface area, frequently found in the Asian population, is often small and delicate and can be easily damaged during suturing, particularly at the "toe" of the anastomosis. This may lead to less frequent utilization of the IMA as a bypass conduit. We describe a technique for anastomosing a small-caliber IMA to a coronary artery, using the tip of the graft as an autologous buttress to reinforce the toe of the anastomosis.
El Oakley
Reida M
RM
Heart Centre, King Fahd Medical City, PO Box 59046, Riyadh 11525, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. surrmo@nus.edu.sg
Lee
Chuen Neng
CN
Ooi
Oon Cheong
OC
D044466:Asian People; D006801:Humans; D007387:Internal Mammary-Coronary Artery Anastomosis / Q000379:methods*