[The inferior epigastric artery. Short-term and one-year patency]

The authors analyse the advantages and disadvantages of revascularization of the myocardium via the arteria epigastrica inferior. They submit short-term and one-year results in a group of 18 patients operated in 1992-1995. The short-term patency of the arteria epigastrica inferior was in the investigated group 87.5% and the one-year patency 83.3%. The limiting factor of this graft are technical problems associated with the establishment of the central anastomosis. The authors assume that the epigastric artery has its place in coronary surgery, although at present it is used mostly as a an alternative graft, mainly for the recascularization of less important coronary vessels.