[Use of the radial artery for coronary artery bypass. A new experience after 20 years]

Twenty years after its first introduction by A. Carpentier, the use of the radial artery (RA) for coronary bypass was reinvestigated because of unexpected good long term results in some patients. Since July 1989, 158 patients (pts) underwent myocardial revascularization using 189 RA grafts (31 pts received 2 grafts). The left internal mammary artery (LIMA) was concomitantly used as a pedicled graft in 151 cases and the right internal mammary artery (RIMA) in 31 cases, a free IMA graft was used in 29 cases and a saphenous vein graft in 40 cases. A mean of 2.8 graft/pt was performed. The target artery receiving the RA was: circumflex (n = 93), diagonal (n = 39), right coronary (n = 47) and LAD (n = 10). Two patients died (1.3%) and three presented a perioperative myocardial infarct (2.5%). Sternal wound infection was noted in three cases of double IMA implant. No ischemia of the hand was observed. All patients received diltiazem started intraoperatively and continued after discharge. In addition, aspirin (100 mg/day) was given at discharge. Early angiographic controls (< 3 weeks) were obtained in the first 60 consecutive patients and revealed: 73/73 patent RA grafts, 58/58 patent LIMA grafts, 16/16 patent RIMA grafts, 15/19 patent free IMA grafts and 10/11 patent vein grafts. Six patients presented a localized narrowing of the RA conduit unrelated to the anastomotic lines (spasm). Late angiographic control (6 to 24 months) was obtained after a mean follow-up of 11 months in 37 patients: 42/46 RA grafts were patent (91.3%) and free of spasm and 4 were occluded.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)