title: Midterm results for use of the skeletonized gastroepiploic artery graft in coronary artery bypass.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To improve the long-term results of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), several arterial conduits have been used, including the skeletonized right gastroepiploic artery (GEA) graft.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The skeletonized GEA graft was used for CABG in 223 patients over a 6-year period (208 males, 15 females, mean age 64 years). 1-, 2- and 3-vessel and left main trunk disease was noted in 1, 28, 122 and 72 patients, respectively. Internal thoracic artery, radial artery and saphenous vein grafts were concomitantly used in 217 (97%), 73 (33%) and 41 (18%) patients, respectively, and the mean number of grafts was 3.5. The sites of GEA grafting were 1 anterior descending, 10 diagonal, 97 circumflex, and 185 right coronary arteries, with 154 single in-situ, 33 free and 36 composite grafts, including 56 sequential grafts. There was 1 (0.4%) operative death. New Q wave was noted in 2 (0.9%) patients. Postoperative angiography revealed 97.6% early postoperative (within 1 month) and 91.5% midterm (mean 27 months) patency rates for GEA grafts. The cumulative 4-year patency rate of the skeletonized GEA graft was 86.4%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The skeletonized GEA is a safe and effective arterial conduit for CABG.
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The Cardiovascular Institute, 7-3-10 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan. suma@cvi.or.jp
authors: Hisayoshi
authors: H
authors: Suma
authors: Hiroaki
authors: H
authors: Tanabe
authors: Junya
authors: J
authors: Yamada
authors: Akiyoshi
authors: A
authors: Mikuriya
authors: Taiko
authors: T
authors: Horii
authors: Tadashi
authors: T
authors: Isomura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D024405:Gastroepiploic Artery / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000601:surgery; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000601:surgery; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome