From 4/8/94 thru 2/28/95, 32 patients were submitted to myocardial revascularization utilizing the radial artery graft (RA) as part of the procedure. This represented 17.3% of our coronary bypass surgery experience during that period. Twenty three patients were male and mean age was 56.8 years (41-74). The RA was used to graft the anterior interventricular area in 7 cases, right coronary artery in 7 cases and circunflex in 18 cases. Two patients died, for a hospital mortality of 6%, being of non-cardiac causes in both. Angiographyc control was done in all hospital survivors before discharge, revealing 96% of graft patency rate (46/48). However, there were two cases of moderate spasm related to catheter tip, one case of severe spasm and two grafts exibit string sign. Eight patients with follow-up time greater than 6 months (mean 7.4) were submitted to sequential angiographyc control, showing 100% patency rate, with no detectable visual abnormalities. One patient which showed "string sign" at her first angiographyc study was restudied at 4 months. Her graft actually showed progression of the abnormality, being, however, still patent. The results herein obtained allow us to conclude that the RA might be an excelent option for patients with varicose or absent saphenous vein. Longer follow-up studies will determine the real value of the RA as aortocoronary grafts.
Myocardial revascularization with radial artery; Myocardial revascularization with radial artery; Myocardial revascularization