title: Comparison of right internal thoracic artery and right gastroepiploic artery Y grafts anastomosed to the left internal thoracic artery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Early and 1-year results of arterial Y composite grafts anastomosed to the in situ left internal thoracic artery were studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred twelve patients who underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass using arterial Y composite grafts for revascularization of the left coronary artery territory were analyzed. A skeletonized right internal thoracic artery (RITA) or right gastroepiploic artery (RGEA) was anastomosed to the side of the left internal thoracic artery to construct a Y composite graft. Propensity-matched analysis was used to match patients using RITA (RITA group, n = 102) with patients using RGEA (RGEA group, n = 102). Postoperative coronary angiographies were performed early (200 of 204; 1.8 +/- 1.7 days) and 1 year (171 of 204, 11.3 +/- 2.5 months) postoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences in postoperative mortalities (1 of 102 versus 2 of 102; p = 1.000) and morbidities including atrial fibrillation, mediastinitis, and perioperative myocardial infarction between the RITA and RGEA groups (not significant). Early and 1-year postoperative angiographies showed that there were no significant differences in patency rate between the two groups (early, 99.4% versus 99.3%; p = 1.000; 1-year, 95.4% versus 97.4%; p = 0.251). When the early and 1-year patency rates were compared based on the side-arm graft used, there were no differences in patency rates of RITA versus RGEA grafts between the two groups (early, 99.4% versus 100%; p = 1.000; 1-year, 96.5% versus 97.7%; p = 0.724).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Construction of Y composite grafts using the RITA or RGEA showed comparable results including patency rates early and 1 year postoperatively.
authors: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Cheju Halla General Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Kwang Ree
authors: KR
authors: Cho
authors: Ho Young
authors: HY
authors: Hwang
authors: Jun-Sung
authors: JS
authors: Kim
authors: Dong Seop
authors: DS
authors: Jeong
authors: Ki-Bong
authors: KB
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D024405:Gastroepiploic Artery / Q000601:surgery* / Q000637:transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008323:Mammary Arteries / Q000601:surgery* / Q000637:transplantation; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods