Technical issues in the use of the radial artery as a coronary artery bypass conduit

Mario Gaudino; Filippo Crea; Federico Cammertoni; Andrea Mazza; Amelia Toesca; Massimo Massetti

doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2014.07.039

Technical issues in the use of the radial artery as a coronary artery bypass conduit

Ann Thorac Surg. 2014 Dec;98(6):2247-54. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2014.07.039. Epub 2014 Oct 24.

Authors

Mario Gaudino¹, Filippo Crea², Federico Cammertoni², Andrea Mazza², Amelia Toesca³, Massimo Massetti²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Catholic University, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
³ Department of Anatomy, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.

PMID: 25443025
DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2014.07.039

Abstract

The clinical and angiographic benefits related to the use of the radial artery (RA) as a bypass conduit have extensively been proven. However, due to its morpho-functional features and its anatomic position, successful use of the RA requires careful consideration of several technical issues. We herein summarize the current evidence on all the technical aspects related to the RA use in coronary surgery such as the preoperative evaluation of ulnar compensation, the different means of intraoperative vasodilatation, and the various harvesting techniques.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Coronary Artery Bypass / methods*
Coronary Artery Disease / surgery*
Humans
Radial Artery / transplantation*
Tissue and Organ Harvesting / methods*