Hitoshi Hirose, MD, FICS ¹, Atsushi Amano, MD ²,  Akihito Takahashi, MD ³

ANGIOGRAPHIC RESULTS OF OFF-PUMP SKELETONIZED RADIAL ARTERY GRAFTING

¹ Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Shin-Tokyo Hospital, Chiba, Japan
Currently, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH.

² Department of Cardiovascular Surgery Juntendo University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

³ Department of Cardiovascular Surgery Cardiovascular Institute Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

The summary: Background: To improve the patency rate of radial artery grafts, we have been using A skeletonized harvesting technique since 09/01/2000.  Our early reports confirmed better graft patency of skeletonized radial graft compared to conventional pedicled grafts.  Off-pump coronary artery bypass has been increasing in our institution.  Here, we present our angiographic and clinical follow-up data on skeletonized radial artery grafting, exclusively among those who underwent off-pump bypass.

Methods: Between September, 2000 and July, 2002, a total of 247 patients underwent isolated off-pump coronary artery bypass using skeletonized radial artery graft, excluding T-grafting.  Of these, 152 (61.5%) underwent postoperative angiography, and their perioperative, early angiographic, and follow-up results were analyzed.

Results: There was no hospital death and 5 incidences of postoperative myocardial infarction.  None were related to radial artery bypass.  Early angiographic control revealed that the stenosis-free graft patency rate of radial artery anastomoses (233/242, 97.9%) was not significantly different from other conduits (the left internal mammary artery 100%, right internal mammary artery 90.2%, gastroepiploic artery 98.4%, and saphenous vein 100%).  Follow-up was completed all hospital survivors with a mean follow-up of 1.0 ± 0.4 years.  There were no cardiac deaths, myocardial infarction, or angina recurrence.

Conclusion: The angiographical patency of the skeletonized radial artery graft performed under off-pump technique was excellent.  Although cardiac events were not observed so far, follow-up mid-term angiographies will be necessary to confirm our clinical outcome data.

Key Words: coronary artery bypass, radial artery, skeletonization, off-pump, angiography

Hirose H., Amano A., Takahashi A. ANGIOGRAPHIC RESULTS OF OFF-PUMP SKELETONIZED RADIAL ARTERY GRAFTING // The First International Scientific Teleconference "Cardiovascular Surgery and Angiology - 2003", The book of Conference.- SPb, 2003.- P.