title: Assessment of Radial Artery Graft Patency in Symptomatic Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study is to evaluate the patency of radial artery (RA) grafts consistent with the target vessel characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between October 2001 and January 2012, 83 symptomatic patients or patients with positive ischemic test results underwent coronary angiography following coronary artery bypass grafting. Of these, 68 patients with 81 RA grafts at a mean 49.2 ± 31.9 months (range, 1-137 months) were evaluated. According to the location and degree of proximal stenosis, 5-year graft patency was determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis. The relationships between RA graft patency and degree of proximal stenosis, target vessel location, and inflow characteristics of grafts were assessed by means of Cox proportional hazard models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age of the patients was 56.4 ± 10.2 years. The period between the operation and postoperative coronary angiography was 49.2 ± 31.9 months (range, 1-137 months; median, 48.8 months). There was no impact on RA patency with regard to preoperative characteristics of the patients. RA patency was higher for left coronary system compared with right system (p = 0.038; 85.5 vs. 65.4%). In addition, patency rate was statistically higher for the proximal stenosis ≥ 90% (odds ratio, 3.65; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-11.07; p = 0.018). Kaplan-Meier patency analysis showed a patency of RA as 79.2% at 5 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RA graft patency differs with degree of preoperative native coronary artery stenosis and location of target vessel. RA grafts to not severely stenosed (< 90%) coronary system and to the right coronary territory carry a remarkably high risk of graft failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Turkey Yuksek Ihtisas Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ertekin U
authors.initials: EU
authors.lastname: Unal
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Turkey Yuksek Ihtisas Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ferit
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cicekcioglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Turkey Yuksek Ihtisas Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Turkey Yuksek Ihtisas Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Turkey Yuksek Ihtisas Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Emre
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kubat
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Turkey Yuksek Ihtisas Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hakki Z
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Iscan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Turkey Yuksek Ihtisas Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cemal L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Birincioglu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency