Composite arterial conduits for a wider arterial myocardial revascularization

doi:10.1016/0003-4975(94)91097-9

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery

Volume 58, Issue 1, July 1994, Pages 185-190

https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-4975(94)91097-9 Get rights and content

Abstract

From October 1991 to May 1993, 130 patients were submitted to myocardial revascularization using complex preformed arterial conduits. The age ranged from 29 to 75 years (mean age, 60.1 years); 121 patients were male. One hundred twenty-six patients had double- or triple-vessel disease. The mean ejection fraction was 0.53 (range, 0.22 to 0.79); only 6 patients had an ejection fraction less than 0.35. In 6 cases the procedure was a reoperation. We used 360 arterial conduits, 163 of which as free grafts (3 left internal mammary arteries, 16 right internal mammary arteries, 86 inferior epigastric arteries, 57 radial arteries, and 1 right gastroepiploic artery). One hundred fifty-four free grafts were anastomosed to one or both internal mammary arteries and one to a radial artery. We constructed 136 complex arterial conduits (branched, lengthened, or both). In 6 cases a double arterial system had to be used in a single patient. There was no operative mortality, and no inotropic or mechanical supports were used. The overall mortality rate was 1,5%. Early angiographic controls (between the 7th and 15th postoperative days) demonstrated 100% patency; late angiographic controls (at a mean interval of 9.5 months after operation) documented a mean patency rate ranging from 94.1% of the radial arteries to 100% of the left internal mammary arteries and right gastroepiploic arteries. At a mean follow-up of 7.2 months (range, 1 to 15 months) all patients are alive without recurrence of symptoms.

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Cited by (188)

The Growth Potential and Patency of Free Right Internal Thoracic Arteries Verified by Computed Tomography Angiography
2021, Annals of Thoracic Surgery
The use of the left internal thoracic artery (LITA) is the gold standard in coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). Multiarterial grafting for CABG is being increasingly emphasized. This study aimed to resolve the utility of the right internal thoracic artery (RITA) for multiple CABG as “free” RITA and described new evidence.
One hundred sixty-three patients received solo CABG with bilateral internal thoracic arteries between 2005 and 2018. The RITA was used as in situ RITA, group A (n = 62), and the composite graft created with saphenous vein graft (SVG), group B (n = 101). The patency rate and graft size of the composite free RITA and SVG were examined by coronary computed tomography angiography.
The average number of distal anastomoses per patient was 3.4 ± 1.0 in group A, and 4.2 ± 1.1 in group B (P < .001). The sequential grafting with free RITA was in 86 patients. The patency rate of both LITA and RITA was similar in both groups. In group B, 40 patients received late computed tomography angiography at a mean of 46 months (range, 17 to 175). The late patency rate was 95.1% in LITA and 96.9% in free RITA. The diameter of free RITA increased from 2.06 ± 0.34 mm to 2.37 ± 0.23 mm (P = .036); that of in situ LITA increased from 2.08 ± 0.51 mm to 2.44 ± 0.49 mm (P = .047); and that of composite SVG decreased from 4.1 ± 0.9 mm to 2.6 ± 0.7 mm (P < .001).
Multiple bypass grafting can be sufficiently achieved with LITA and free RITA. The growth potential of free RITA and in situ LITA might play the important role of expected long-term patency.
Long-term outcome of the in situ versus free internal thoracic artery as the second arterial graft
2021, Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
The study objective was to determine the impact on outcome associated with using the second internal thoracic artery as a free compared with an in situ graft among patients who received the first internal thoracic artery as an in situ internal thoracic artery to the left anterior descending artery.
Among 2600 patients who underwent bilateral internal thoracic artery with an in situ internal thoracic artery to the left anterior descending artery, the second internal thoracic artery was used as a free graft bilateral internal thoracic artery in 136 patients and as an in situ graft (in situ bilateral internal thoracic artery) in 2464 patients. One-to-many propensity score matching was performed to produce a cohort of 134 patients with a second free graft internal thoracic artery matched to 2359 patients with a second in situ internal thoracic artery. Early and long-term outcomes including survival, hospital readmission, and repeat revascularization up to a maximum of 25.8 years were compared.
There were no differences between the 2 matched groups' preoperative baseline characteristics and early adverse events. Long-term survival at 5, 10, and 15 years was significantly higher among patients with an in situ bilateral internal thoracic artery compared with patients with a free graft bilateral internal thoracic artery (hazard ratio free graft bilateral internal thoracic artery vs in situ bilateral internal thoracic artery, 1.53; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-2.10; P = .004). However, the long-term risk of readmission to the hospital for cardiovascular reasons and need for repeat revascularization were not significantly different between the 2 matched groups.
In a small, propensity-matched cohort of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, the use of a second in situ internal thoracic artery was associated with an increase in late survival compared with the use of a second internal thoracic artery as a free graft. However, the risk of late hospital readmission and the need for repeat revascularization were similar.
Multiarterial grafting: Why is it so hard to convince the masses of the benefits?
2021, Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Bilateral internal thoracic artery use in coronary artery bypass grafting in the post-ART era - Perspective
2021, International Journal of Surgery
There is still lack of convincing evidence about the superiority of bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) use in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and BITA grafts continue to be underutilized. Arterial Revascularization Trial (ART) did not demonstrate the superiority of BITA versus single ITA grafting after 10 years.
We have reviewed the most recent literature, assessed the current status as well as indications of BITA grafting in the post-ART era. We believe that BITA grafting is not appropriate for all patients especially in light of the findings of ART. However, the use of BITA is justified in patients of younger age and those without comorbidities (poorly controlled diabetes, obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, previous mediastinal irradiation, long-term steroid use, elderly women). Further prospective randomized studies with long-term follow-up are needed to validate the benefits of BITA grafting.
Composite venous allograft for femoro-pedal bypass grafting in critical limb ischaemia
2018, Cor et Vasa
We report a series of four patients with critical limb ischaemia and lack of autologous conduits, treated with composite (end-to-end anastomosis) allogenic fresh/or cryopreserved saphenous vein bypass grafting. This technique may be necessary in case of femoro-pedal artery bypass grafting, which is an extreme situation if there is shortage in length or inadequate quality of the venous allograft. Such a long reconstruction requires two donor saphenous veins.
Four patients were indicated for “I-composite” fresh venous allograft for femoro-pedal bypass grafting. One composite graft occluded 4 months postoperatively, one 21 months postoperatively, two other remained patent with median follow-up 23 months. No amputation was required in any of the patients during the follow-up.
Midterm patency of the reconstruction may be satisfactory provided that the ABO compatibility, short cold ischaemia time of the graft, adequate immunosuppressive therapy and proper follow-up protocol of the patient after vascular allograft transplantation are observed. Surgeons should keep in mind possibility of this technique mainly in diabetic patients with critical limb ischaemia and occluded crural vessels.
Is the right internal thoracic artery superior to saphenous vein for grafting the right coronary artery? A propensity score–based analysis
2017, Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Citation Excerpt :
Despite concerns that direct ascending aorta RITA inflow may lead to vascular wall “reactivity” have been raised, this aspect remains controversial, with conflicting findings reported. Calafiore and colleagues18 initially reported that the patency rate of the free right ITA proximally anastomosed to the aorta was inferior to that anastomosed to the left ITA. They suggested that the reason for this poor graft patency rate was because of a mismatch between the aorta and the conduit wall and a difference in the flow pattern.
Although the use of the right internal thoracic artery (RITA) as second arterial conduit to graft the left coronary system consistently has been shown to provide a survival benefit compared with the saphenous vein graft (SVG), the choice of conduit for the right coronary artery (RCA) system remains controversial. We compared long-term (>15 years) survival in patients who underwent RITA-RCA versus SVG-RCA grafting at a single institution.
The study population consisted of 7223 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Of them 245 (3.4%) and 6978 (96.6%) received RITA-RCA and SVG-RCA graft, respectively. Propensity score matching and time-segmented Cox regression were used to compare the 2 groups.
Survival probability at 5, 10, and 15 years were 95.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 93.4-98.4) versus 96.0% (95% CI, 94.3-97.8), 89.8% (95% CI, 85.9-93.7) versus 88.0% (95% CI, 85.0-91.0) and 82.9% (95% CI, 77.6-88.2) versus 76.3 (95% CI, 72.0-80.5) in the RITA-RCA and SVG-RCA group, respectively. Time-segmented Cox regression showed that during the first 9 years, the 2 strategies were associated with comparable risk of death (hazard ratio, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 0.67-1.90; P = .65) but beyond 9 years, the RITA-RCA was associated with a significantly lower risk of death (hazard ratio, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.22-0.84; P = .01).
Revascularization of the RCA system with the RITA was associated with superior late survival compared with SVG. This supports the view that, the use of RITA to graft the RCA should be encouraged, especially in patients with long life expectancy.

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Original articleComposite arterial conduits for a wider arterial myocardial revascularization

Abstract

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg

Ann Thorac Surg

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg

Ann Thorac Surg

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg

Original article
Composite arterial conduits for a wider arterial myocardial revascularization