title: Gastroepiploic artery grafting does not improve the late outcome in patients with bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting in coronary artery bypass surgery has a better long-term outcome than single internal thoracic artery grafting. However, the efficacy of gastroepiploic artery (GEA) grafting in addition to bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting is still not well-established.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1989 to 1999, 311 patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting using in situ bilateral internal thoracic arteries anastomosed to the left coronary arteries and either an in situ GEA or a saphenous vein graft (SVG) anastomosed to the right coronary artery. Ninety-nine patients using the in situ GEA (GEA group) were compared with 212 patients using the SVG (SVG group) anastomsed to the right coronary artery. Young patients and patients with hyperlipidemia were more prevalent in the GEA group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The seven-year survival rate in the GEA group and the SVG group were 94.7% and 87.2%, respectively (p = 0.068). In a multivariate analysis, the age, renal failure, and a low ejection fraction (<0.40) were all significant predictors of survival. The GEA was not a significant predictor. The seven-year freedom rates from cardiac events were similar in both groups (GEA group, 76.5%; SVG group, 78.6%; p = 0.455). The seven-year freedom rates from recurrent angina were also similar between the groups (GEA group, 85.3%; SVG group, 88.8%; p = 0.700).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In comparison with SVG grafting, GEA grafting to the right coronary artery did not significantly improve the late outcomes in patients with bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Kumamoto Central Hospital, Kumamoto, Japan. j_esaki@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Jiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Esaki
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koshiji
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsukashita
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikuno
authors.forename: Ryuzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sakata
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D024405:Gastroepiploic Artery / Q000637:transplantation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008323:Mammary Arteries / Q000637:transplantation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000150:complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000637:transplantation; D013318:Stroke Volume; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome