The Aorta-to-Coronary Radial Artery Bypass Graft: A Technique Avoiding Pathological Changes in Grafts

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Abstract

A technique of aorta-to-coronary artery bypass grafting using the patient's radial artery is proposed with the aim of reducing the incidence of late pathological changes in the graft. Experience with 40 radial artery grafts in 30 human patients has shown excellent short-term results and has demonstrated the primary importance of mechanical dilation of the arterial graft before implantation to counteract its spasm. Even though several advantages favor use of the radial artery over the vein for grafting (arterial structure, elasticity, regularity of the lumen) and over the mammary artery (graft size and length, resistance of the arterial wall), the ultimate fate of the radial artery graft needs a longer follow-up to be determined with certainty.

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Presented at the Ninth Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Houston, Tex., Jan. 22–24, 1973.

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