Higher patency after 5 years for radial artery vs saphenous vein grafts

Higher patency after 5 years for radial artery vs saphenous vein grafts

Higher patency for radial artery vs saphenous vein grafts: The Radial Artery Patency Study (RAPS) had shown that complete occlusion was more frequent with saphenous vein grafts (SVG) than radial artery grafts at one year after coronary artery bypass grafting. But the functional occlusion rates {TIMI (Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction) flow zero, one or two} was similar in radial grafts and SVG.

Of the five hundred odd patients in this study, late angiographic data is available on two hundred and sixty of whom two hundred and thirty four underwent invasive coronary angiography while thirty five had CT (computed tomography) angiography, at a mean follow up period of 7.7 years after the surgery [1]. Radial artery or saphenous vein grafts were used to revascularize either the right or left circumflex coronary artery territory with more than seventy percent stenosis. At long term follow up, both functional graft occlusion (TIMI flow less than 3) and total graft occlusion (TIMI flow zero) were lower in radial artery grafts as compared to SVG.

Reference

  1. Saswata Deb, Eric A Cohen, Steve K Singh, Dai Une, Andreas Laupacis, Stephen E Fremes, RAPS Investigators. Radial Artery and Saphenous Vein Patency More Than 5 Years After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery. Results From RAPS (Radial Artery Patency Study). J Am Coll Cardiol. 2012 Jul 3;60(1):28-35.