Skeletonized gastroepiploic artery as a composite graft for total arterial revascularization

Despite the purported advantages of using a gastroepiploic artery graft during coronary artery bypass, insufficient potential flow capacity and vasospasm remain major concerns. We assessed the efficacy and results of using a skeletonized composite gastroepiploic artery graft in situations in which bilateral internal thoracic and radial arteries could not be used.

Between January 2000 and August 2002, 37 patients (25 men, 12 women; mean age, 59.9 years) underwent grafting with composite grafts using a skeletonized left internal thoracic artery plus the gastroepiploic artery. Coronary angiograms were performed in the immediate (median, 14 days, 36 patients) and early (median, 348 days, 32 patients) postoperative periods. Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting was performed in all but 2 patients.

There were no deaths. The respective postoperative patencies of the left internal thoracic artery and gastroepiploic artery were 36 of 37 (97.2%) and 73 of 75 (97.3%) at the immediate period, and 34 of 34 and 62 of 67 (92.5%) at the early period. During follow-up, only 1 patient required percutaneous intracoronary intervention for gastroepiploic artery occlusion.

Skeletonized composite gastroepiploic artery grafts showed satisfactory clinical and angiographic results in situations in which bilateral internal thoracic and radial arteries could not be used. Although it needs longer follow-up, these early results demonstrated that the gastroepiploic artery may be a useful option in some situations of total arterial revascularization, used either as an in situ or as a composite graft.