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Comparison Between Midterm Patency of Sequential and Individual Saphenous Vein Grafts after Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Abstract: Objective To compare the midterm patency rates of individual and sequential saphenous vein grafts (SVG) as coronary bypass conduits of offpump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) and evaluate the impact of the grafting techniques (individual or sequential grafts) on the graft patencyafter OPCAB. Methods The clinical data of 398 patients in General Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army receiving OPCAB with individual and sequential grafts from June 2005 to March 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 301 males and 97 females with their age ranged from 53 to 82 years (63.6±10.3 years). A total of 714 distal coronary anastomoses on 448 SVG were assessed by using 64multislice computed tomography (64MSCTA) at an average of 19.8±23.6 months (3 months to 5 years) after OPCAB procedure. The blood flow of grafts in the proximal segment of individual and sequential SVG and the patency rates of grafts and anastomoses were compared, and the effect of different locations on the patency rate of the anastomoses was analyzed. Results The mean blood flow in double SVG (37.11±16.70 ml/min vs. 25.15±14.24 ml/min, P0.042) and in triple SVG (37.56±19.58 ml/min vs. 25.15±14.24 ml/min, P=0.048) were both significantly higher than the flow in single SVG. The anastomoses on the sequential conduits had better patency (95.1％ vs. 90.1％, P=0.013). The patency of sideto side anastomoses was better than that of endtoside anastomoses (97.0% vs. 93.1%, P=0.002) and that of the individual endtoside anastomoses (97.0% vs. 90.1%, P=0.041). There was no significant difference between distal anastomoses in sequential and those in single grafts (P=0.253). No significant difference was observed between the two methods in regard to the three major coronary systems (including the anterior descending branch, the right coronary artery, and the circumflex branch). However, anastomoses on sequential grafts had superior patency to those on individual grafts in the right coronary system (P=0.008). Conclusion The midterm patency of a sequential SVG conduit after OPCAB is excellent and generally superior to that of an individual one. The best runoff coronary artery should be placed at the distal end and the poor coronary vessels should be arranged in the middle of the grafts.