Skeletonized harvesting improves the early-term and mid-term perfect patency of a radial artery graft.
OBJECTIVE
A radial artery (RA) graft is frequently used for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), but little information exists regarding the early- and mid-term patency associated with the harvesting procedure. The objective of this study is to compare the early- and mid-term patency of the RA graft obtained using non-skeletonized and skeletonized harvesting.


METHODS
Altogether, 131 patients and 159 anastomoses were studied. In 85 patients the RA was harvested non-skeletonized (group A: procedures between September 2000 and November 2002), whereas in 46 patients the RA was harvested skeletonized (group B: procedures between November 2002 and April 2004). Angiography results were analyzed before discharge [A: postoperative day (POD) 14.7 +/- 2.9, 75 patients, 90 anastomoses; B: POD 13.7 +/- 1.9, 38 patients, 47 anastomoses], and after 1 year (A: POD 386.8 +/- 149.3, 44 patients, 51 anastomoses; B: POD 267.1 +/- 148.7, 11 patients, 13 anastomoses).


RESULTS
There was no difference in patency between the two groups (group A vs group B, 96.7% vs 100%, P = not significant [NS], in the early-term, 96.2% vs 100%, P = NS, in the mid-term). However, the perfect patency rates for groups A and B were 86.7% and 98.1%, respectively, in the early-term (P = 0.034) and 77.5% and 100%, respectively, in the mid-term (P = 0.048). The location and severity of the target vessel did not influence the angiographic results.


CONCLUSIONS
The early- and mid-term patency of RA grafts was excellent, and skeletonized harvesting improved the perfect patency rates at both time points.
Miyagi
Naoto
N
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Ome Municipal General Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. n-miyagi@yg8.so-net.ne.jp
Oshima
Nagahisa
N
Shirai
Toshizumi
T
Sunamori
Makoto
M
D000368:Aged; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency