title: Skeletonization with an ultrasonic scalpel is as safe as a non-skeletonized dissection in preserving the endothelial function of the human gastroepiploic artery.
abstract: The right gastroepiploic artery (GEA) is frequently used as another in situ artery, other than the internal thoracic artery (ITA) in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Skeletonizing the graft with an ultrasonic scalpel is now regarded as a useful technique; however, this technique may damage the endothelial function during harvesting the graft resulting in postoperative graft stenosis or occlusion. In the present study, GEA segments from nine patients were excised in both a skeletonized and non-skeletonized manner with an ultrasonic scalpel, and then were transported to the laboratory. The vessels were trimmed as rings, and were allotted to the group of skeletonized or non-skeletonized, accordingly. The force development in response to 1 mumol/l norepinephrine did not differ between the skeletonized and non-skeletonized groups. Endothelium-dependent relaxation induced by either acetylcholine or bradykinin was not impaired in the skeletonized group in comparison to the non-skeletonized group. No significant difference was observed in endothelium-independent relaxation elicited by sodium nitroprusside. Therefore, the skeletonization of the GEA with an ultrasonic scalpel was thus found to be as safe as a non-skeletonized dissection in preserving the vascular contractile ability or endothelium-dependent and -independent relaxation of the graft.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iesaki
authors.forename: Naozumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sumiyoshi
authors.forename: Kan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kajimoto
authors.forename: Keita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Daida
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D004210:Dissection / Q000295:instrumentation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D024405:Gastroepiploic Artery / Q000187:drug effects / Q000637:transplantation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014465:Ultrasonics; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D014665:Vasodilator Agents