title: Does bilateral pedicle internal thoracic artery harvest increase the risk of mediastinitis?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Bilateral in situ internal thoracic artery (ITA) bypassing may result in excellent myocardial revascularization without increasing the risk of deep sternal wound infection. Although there have been concerns with the use of pedicled bilateral ITA, the risk of infection may not be greater than the use of skeletonized ITA.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study was retrospectively undertaken to determine if pedicled BITA grafts are associated with a higher risk of sternal wound complications. A total of 207 patients who underwent bilateral ITA bypasses with or without existing diabetes mellitus, and 162 patients of those received bilateral pedicled ITA and 98 patients received unilateral ITA bypass grafts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No sternal wound complications were noted in either the bilateral ITA or unilateral left ITA groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bilateral pedicled ITA harvesting was not associated with a greater incidence of infectious sternal complications compared to patients receiving unilateral ITA bypass grafts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Suk-Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Choo
authors.forename: Sang-Kwon
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sung-Woon
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Jong-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Si-Chan
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Young-Dae
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mi-Ju
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: June-Hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kook-Jin
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Chon
authors.forename: Han-Cheol
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007387:Internal Mammary-Coronary Artery Anastomosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008323:Mammary Arteries / Q000637:transplantation*; D008480:Mediastinitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013249:Sternum; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data