title: [Applied anatomy of inferior epigastric artery in coronary artery bypass grafting].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the inferior epigastric artery(IEA),coronary artery and arterial bridge to supply the anatomic and hemodynamic data of IEA in coronary artery bypass grafting for clinicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anatomic method was adopted to measure the length of IEA, arterial bridge, the outer diameter of IEA and coronary arteries. Colour doppler ultrasound instrument was adopted to measure the caliber and the blood flow rate of IEA and coronary artery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the anatomic method, the length of IEA was (13.00+/-2.58)cm and the caliber of original IEA was (2.95+/-0.21)mm, the caliber of IEA intersecting with abdomen rectus was (2.51+/-0.32)mm, and (1.60+/-0.26)mm at 1.0 cm below the umbilicus. In color doppler ultrasound method, the caliber of original IEA was (2.98+/-0.37)mm, and at 5 cm from the original spot was (2.60+/-0.27)mm. The blood flow rate was (57.00+/-6.78)cm/s. The main stem caliber of the left coronary artery was (4.90+/-0.76)mm, and that of the right coronary artery was (3.58+/-0.63)mm; the blood flow rate was (48.50+/-7.72)cm/s. The length of the arterial bridge was (10.95+/-1.35) approximately (15.30+/-2.82)cm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IEA can bridge the aorta and the coronary artery branches including the left anterior descending branch, the left circumflex branch and the right main coronary artery in free grafting. Its caliber and blood flow rate can match with those of the coronary artery. Before the operation of applying color doppler ultrasound instrument, the safety of IEA in the coronary artery bypass grafting can be evaluated to provide a new safe method in clinical follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhi-cheng
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Qing-ping
authors.initials: QP
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Wan-jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Luo
mesh_terms: D002102:Cadaver; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D019074:Epigastric Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000637:transplantation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods