[Use of PTCA in a gastroepiploic aortocoronary graft]

The use of the gastroepiploic inferior artery as an aortocoronary graft is at present a method of third choice after the mammary artery and venous grafts in revascularizations of the heart muscle. The results are comparable with those obtained with the mammary artery. With regard to the increasing number of operations are more plentiful on the development of atherosclerosis of the above mentioned graft. This dumps the initial enthusiasm that in this artery atherosclerosis does not develop. Reports on PTCA, when this artery is affected, are so far rate. The authors performed a successful PTCA of this graft in a patient with complete affection of the coronary circulation where alternative possibilities of revascularization of the heart muscle were practically exhausted. To improve the technique a suitable type of catheter must be developed which will make it possible to overcome technical problems associated with cannulation of artery and its dilatation.