title: Late haemodynamic and functional consequences of radial artery removal on the forearm circulation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed at evaluating the late haemodynamic and functional consequences on the forearm circulation of radial artery removal for coronary artery bypass grafting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten years after surgery we performed basal and stress echo-Doppler evaluation of the forearm circulation, baseline and stress transcutaneous oxymetry and determination of reactive oxygen metabolites in the operated and control arm in 20 asymptomatic patients submitted to radial artery removal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The peak systolic velocity of the ulnar artery of the operated side was significantly higher than the control site. Transcutaneous oxymetry revealed asymptomatic hand ischemia at moderate level of muscular effort in the operated arm, but reactive oxygen metabolites measurement did not differ between the two arms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even in patients with good ulnar compensation, radial artery removal leads to subtle degree of hand ischemia in conditions of sustained muscular effort. Although the clinical significance of this observation remains to be determined, this finding can have important implications for conduit selection in patients involved in manual activities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gaudino
authors.forename: Amedeo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anselmi
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serricchio
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Flore
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santoliquido
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gerardino
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pola
authors.forename: Gian Federico
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Possati
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tondi
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006225:Hand / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization; D010092:Oximetry; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000637:transplantation*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species