Right internal thoracic or radial artery as the second arterial conduit for coronary artery bypass surgery

To summarize the available evidence on the use of the right internal thoracic artery (RITA) and the radial artery as the second arterial graft in coronary artery bypass surgery.

The current data support the equipoise of the two conduits in terms of clinical and angiographic outcomes. Both RITA and radial artery have better patency than saphenous vein grafts. The use of the RITA carries an increased risk of deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) if the artery is harvested as pedicle. Bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting is more technically demanding than radial artery use and there is a volume-outcome relationship in terms of mortality and incidence of DSWI. The radial artery is preferable over RITA in right-sided or distal circumflex artery targets with high-degree stenosis and in patients at higher risk for DSWI, whereas it is not recommended to graft vessels with moderate stenosis and in cases of insufficient collateralization from the ulnar artery or previous transradial procedures.

The patency rate and clinical outcomes of radial artery and RITA are similar. The use of one or the other should be based on a careful evaluation of the patient's coronary anatomy and comorbidities, the conduit availability and the surgeon's and center's experience.