[Myocardial revascularization with the gastroepiploic artery. The initial experience]

The internal mammary artery is widely recognized as the graft of choice for coronary artery bypass grafting at present. Alternative conduits have been investigated in order to find other adequate long-term grafts. The right gastroepiploic artery has been recently used as a graft to bypass distal coronary vessels. From November 1989 to April 1990 we have implanted this artery in 33 cases (32 in situ and one free grafts). The pedicled grafts were implanted in 17 patients in the main right coronary artery, in 13 we grafted the right distal branches, in one the left anterior descending, and the circumflex branch in one. The free graft was implanted in the first diagonal. Mean grafts per patient was of three in this series, with a mean of 2 arterial grafts per patient. One patient died in the early postoperative period. The remaining patients had an uncomplicated postoperative period. Thirteen patients underwent graft and coronary angiography. Direct or indirect graft patency was confirmed in all cases. The final important issue concerning the long-term patency of this graft will be solved in the future, but short-term patency rates of the right gastroepiploic artery can be anticipated when proper techniques are used.