Patency When Grafted to Coronary Stenosis More Than 50% in LIMA-RA-Y Grafts

Alistair G Royse1, Anthony P Brennan2, Zulfayandi Pawanis3

  • 1The University of Melbourne, Department of Surgery, Melbourne, Vic, Australia.

Heart, Lung & Circulation
|December 16, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Composite arterial grafts, including the left internal mammary artery and radial artery (LIMA-RA-Y), show acceptable late patency when used for coronary arteries with over 50% stenosis. Higher stenosis levels predict better graft survival.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Surgery
  • Interventional Cardiology
  • Vascular Biology

Background:

  • Current coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) practices involve grafting arterial conduits to more severely stenosed coronary arteries.
  • The study investigates the patency of composite Y grafts using the left internal mammary artery and radial artery (LIMA-RA-Y).
  • Routine practice at the time of the study was to graft coronary arteries with >50% stenosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the long-term patency rates of composite arterial grafts (LIMA-RA-Y).
  • To determine the relationship between native coronary stenosis severity and arterial graft patency.
  • To analyze patency across different coronary territories (LAD, circumflex, RCA).

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 76 postoperative angiograms from 346 patients who underwent LIMA-RA-Y grafting between 1996-1999.
  • Assessment of 256 anastomoses, with 230 targeted at coronary arteries with >50% stenosis.
  • Generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) used to identify predictors of graft patency, defining "string sign" as occlusion.

Main Results:

  • Overall graft patency was 84.0% (214/256) at a mean follow-up of 5.8 years.
  • For grafts to coronary arteries with >50% stenosis, patency was 88% (201/230).
  • Patency varied by territory: LAD 94%, circumflex 90%, and RCA 74%. Higher preoperative stenosis significantly predicted higher patency (OR 1.83 per 10% increase, p<0.001).

Conclusions:

  • Composite arterial grafts demonstrate acceptable late patency when utilized in coronary arteries with significant stenosis (>50%).
  • Grafting to targets with greater native coronary stenosis is associated with improved long-term patency.
  • The LIMA-RA-Y composite graft is a viable option for coronary revascularization.
Abstract

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