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Forearm and Hand Function after Radial Artery Harvest for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: Subjective Patients'
Anna Drohomirecka1,2, Paweł Kwinecki1, Witold Gwóźdź1
1Lower Silesian Center for Heart Diseases, Wrocław, Poland.
Insights
Patients generally rate hand and forearm function highly after radial artery harvest for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Most patients reported no significant limitations in daily life activities despite minor surgical side effects.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Vascular Grafting
- Patient-Reported Outcomes
Background:
- Arterial myocardial revascularization offers excellent outcomes.
- The use of the radial artery as a graft and its sequelae are significant considerations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess patient-reported forearm and hand function after radial artery harvesting for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire was administered to 50 patients (mean age 52.2 years) who had undergone CABG at least 6 months prior.
- The survey evaluated hand and forearm function, efficiency, and discomfort.
Main Results:
- Overall upper extremity function was rated highly (mean 8.87/10).
- Patients reporting issues (e.g., paresthesias, scar discomfort) had slightly lower function scores (P=.04).
- No reported symptoms limited patients' overall life activities.
Conclusions:
- The majority of patients reported good hand and forearm function post-radial artery harvest for CABG.
- Minor surgical-related issues were common but did not lead to significant functional limitations in daily life.
Background:
As arterial myocardial revascularization is proved to provide great results, radial artery use as a graft and its consequences remain an important issue.
Objectives:
The aim of the study was to evaluate how patients assess their forearm and hand function after radial artery harvest for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).
Methods:
50 patients (mean age 52.2 ± 7.4 years) who underwent CABG at least 6 months (median follow up 11.75 months) earlier filled in a questionnaire concerning hand and forearm efficiency and discomfort.
Results:
The global efficiency of the operated upper extremity was scored mean 8.87 ± 1.26 points on a 10-point scale and it was worse in patients who noticed at least one sort of disorder than in patients with no problems (8.6 ± 1.4 versus 9.4 ± 0.7 points; P = .04). Paresthesias were the most often reported disorders; 21 patients felt some tingling and/or numbness, but in only 14 (28%) could the symptoms be considered as related to the operation. 20 patients (40%) declared that they felt some scar-related discomfort. Reduced grip strength and excessive hand fatigue were reported by 20% and 10% of patients, respectively. None of those interviewed answered that symptoms reported affected his or her life activity on any level.
Conclusion:
The hand and forearm efficiency after radial artery harvest for CABG was highly evaluated by the majority of patients. Despite the fact that many patients reported some surgery-related problems, they did not notice extremity dysfunction that could limit their life activity.
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