Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2002 Dec;88(6):643-4.
doi: 10.1136/heart.88.6.643.

Why do UK cardiac surgeons not perform their first choice operation for coronary artery bypass graft?

Why do UK cardiac surgeons not perform their first choice operation for coronary artery bypass graft?

P A Catarino et al. Heart. 2002 Dec.
No abstract available

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Question 1
Question 1
Is there any evidence to show an advantage of using multiple arterial grafts: none; circumstantial; definite.
Question 2
Question 2
What percentage of your patients might benefit from multiple arterial grafts: < 25%; 25–50%; > 50%.
Question 3
Question 3
If you required elective CABG tomorrow and had typical three vessel disease and reasonable left ventricular function you would wish to have: whatever the surgeon decides, 1 internal mammary artery (IMA) + 2 veins; 2 IMA + 1 vein; 3 arterial grafts.
Question 4
Question 4
Multiple arterial grafts are not commonly performed in the UK because: there is no proof of benefit; the mortality may be higher; the morbidity may be higher; the procedure may take too long; there may be a learning curve.

References

    1. Loop FD, Lytle BW, Cosgrove DM, et al. Influence of the internal-mammary-artery graft on 10-year survival and other cardiac events. N Engl J Med 1986;314:1–6. - PubMed
    1. Dion R, Etienne PY, Verhelst R, et al. Bilateral mammary grafting. Clinical, functional and angiographic assessment in 400 consecutive patients. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 1993;7:287–93. - PubMed
    1. Lytle BW, Blackstone EH, Loop FD, et al. Two internal thoracic artery grafts are better than one. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1999;117:855–72. - PubMed
    1. Taggart DP, D’Amico R, Altman DG. Effect of arterial revascularisation on survival: a systematic review of studies comparing bilateral and single internal mammary arteries. Lancet 2001;358:870–5. - PubMed
    1. Schneider EC, Epstein AM. Influence of cardiac-surgery performance on referral practices and access to care. A survey of cardiovascular specialists. N Engl J Med 1997;336:442–3. - PubMed

Publication types