HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Mario Gaudino Franco Glieca Gianfederico Possati Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Gaudino, M. Articles by Possati, G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Gaudino, M. Articles by Possati, G.

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2000;120:298-301
© 2000 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery

Surgery for acquired cardiovascular disease

Midterm endothelial function and remodeling of radial artery grafts anastomosed to the aorta

From the Departments of Cardiac Surgery^a and Cardiology,^b Catholic University, Rome, Italy.

Address for reprints: Mario Gaudino, MD, Divisione di Cardiochirurgia, Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy (E-mail: mgaudino{at}tiscalinet.it ).

Background: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the midterm endothelium-dependent vasodilatory capacity of radial artery grafts anastomosed to the aorta, as well as their morphometric evolution with the time.
Methods: Five years after surgery we evaluated the response of aorta-anastomosed radial artery grafts to the endovascular infusion of acetylcholine in 11 of the first 61 patients operated on at our institution, and we compared it to the response with that of internal thoracic artery grafts. Moreover, the first 20 patients who had a perfect radial artery graft on angiography at 1 year were restudied at 5 years and subjected to a comparative analysis of the diameters of the radial artery graft and the grafted coronary arteries.
Results: At midterm angiography, dilation of the 2 types of grafts was similar in response to acetylcholine administration (radial artery, from 2.61 ± 0.39 to 2.90 ± 0.34 mm; internal thoracic artery, from 2.68 ± 0.21 to 2.93 ± 0.27 mm; P = .01 for both). The diameters of aorta-anastomosed radial artery grafts and grafted coronary arteries increased between both 1 and 5 years according to angiographic studies (radial artery grafts, from 2.08 ± 0.45 to 2.54 ± 0.53 mm; grafted coronary arteries, from 1.92 ± 0.47 to 2.18 ± 0.41 mm; P < .001 for both), but the increase was greater for the radial artery grafts (P < .001).
Conclusions: Aorta-anastomosed radial artery grafts maintain an appreciable capacity for endothelium-dependent vasodilatation 5 years after implantation and undergo a progressive increase in luminal diameter with time. These observations contradict the presumed tendency for progressive fibrous intimal hyperplasia to develop in radial artery grafts.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Fukui, H. Fukuda, K. Toda, M. Yoshitatsu, T. Funatsu, T. Masai, and Y. Miyamoto Remodeling of the radial artery anastomosed to the internal thoracic artery as a composite straight graft. J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., November 1, 2007; 134(5): 1136 - 1142. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Gaudino, F. Prati, and G. Possati Radial artery grafting MMCTS, January 9, 2006; 2006(0109): 752. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Gaudino, F. Glieca, N. Luciani, G. Losasso, P. Tondi, M. Serricchio, P. Pola, and G. Possati Ten-year Echo-Doppler evaluation of forearm circulation following radial artery removal for coronary artery bypass grafting Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., January 1, 2006; 29(1): 71 - 73. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Gaudino, F. Prati, E. Caradonna, C. Trani, F. Burzotta, G. Schiavoni, F. Glieca, and G. Possati Implantation in Coronary Circulation Induces Morphofunctional Transformation of Radial Grafts From Muscular to Elastomuscular Circulation, August 30, 2005; 112(9_suppl): I-208 - I-211. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Gaudino, M. Serricchio, P. Tondi, L. Gerardino, A. D. Giorgio, P. Pola, and G. Possati Chronic compensatory increase in ulnar flow and accelerated atherosclerosis after radial artery removal for coronary artery bypass J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., July 1, 2005; 130(1): 9 - 12. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Gaudino, G. Nasso, C. Canosa, F. Glieca, A. Salica, F. Alessandrini, and G. Possati Midterm Angiographic Patency and Vasoreactive Profile of Proximal Versus Distal Radial Artery Grafts Ann. Thorac. Surg., June 1, 2005; 79(6): 1987 - 1989. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Gaudino, N. Luciani, G. Nasso, A. Salica, C. Canosa, and G. Possati Is postoperative calcium channel blocker therapy needed in patients with radial artery grafts? J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., March 1, 2005; 129(3): 532 - 535. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Gaudino, F. Alessandrini, C. Pragliola, C. Cellini, F. Glieca, N. Luciani, F. Girola, and G. Possati Effect of target artery location and severity of stenosis on mid-term patency of aorta-anastomosed vs. internal thoracic artery-anastomosed radial artery grafts Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., March 1, 2004; 25(3): 424 - 428. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Gaudino, P. Tondi, M. Serricchio, P. Spatuzza, A. Santoliquido, R. Flora, F. Girola, G. Nasso, P. Pola, and G. Possati Atherosclerotic involvement of the radial artery in patients with coronary artery disease and its relation with midterm radial artery graft patency and endothelial function J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., December 1, 2003; 126(6): 1968 - 1971. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Possati, M. Gaudino, F. Prati, F. Alessandrini, C. Trani, F. Glieca, M. A. Mazzari, N. Luciani, and G. Schiavoni Long-Term Results of the Radial Artery Used for Myocardial Revascularization Circulation, September 16, 2003; 108(11): 1350 - 1354. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Gaudino, F. Alessandrini, G. Nasso, P. Bruno, A. Manzoli, and G. Possati Severity of coronary artery stenosis at preoperative angiography and midterm mammary graft status Ann. Thorac. Surg., July 1, 2002; 74(1): 119 - 121. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. B. Barner Remodeling of arterial conduits in coronary grafting Ann. Thorac. Surg., April 1, 2002; 73(4): 1341 - 1345. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Gaudino, F. Glieca, N. Luciani, F. Alessandrini, and G. Possati Clinical and Angiographic Effects of Chronic Calcium Channel Blocker Therapy Continued Beyond First Postoperative Year in Patients With Radial Artery Grafts: Results of a Prospective Randomized Investigation Circulation, September 18, 2001; 104(90001): I-64 - 67. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. L. Iaco, G. Teodori, G. Di Giammarco, M. Di Mauro, L. Storto, V. Mazzei, G. Vitolla, B. Mostafa, and A. M. Calafiore Radial artery for myocardial revascularization: long-term clinical and angiographic results Ann. Thorac. Surg., August 1, 2001; 72(2): 464 - 468. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]