Surgical revascularization of the myocardium with the use of grafts of the skeletonized radial artery or with surrounding tissues: random comparative analysis

BACKGROUND: The use of artery grafts in the surgical revascularization of the myocardium is currently a well-established procedure by cardiovascular surgeons, and its skeletonization has posed some advantages, in principle, with the left internal thoracic artery. OBJECTIVE: With the purpose of analyzing this radial artery harvest method, the study evaluated the functional and hemodynamic early performance, as well as the morphological anatomic and histological features of the aortic coronary grafts of the radial artery, skeletonized or with surrounding tissues, in the surgical revascularization of the myocardium. METHODS: The study compared 40 patients, randomly distributed in two groups. In Group I, we employed a skeletonized radial artery (20 patients), and in Group II, the radial artery with surrounding tissues (20 patients), for the marginal branches of the left coronary artery. In total, 39 patients underwent cinecoronariography and fluxometry with a 12-MHz Doppler guide catheter (0.014 in., Flowire, Jometrics Inc.), in the immediate postoperative period. RESULTS: Both groups presented similar demographic features. The main intra-surgical variables of the radial artery were also similar, with an extension of 17.1 cm in Group I, and 16.3 cm in Group II, and the free flow was of 80.3 ml/min in Group I, and of 95.5 ml/min in Group II. No morphological anatomic and histological differences were observed in the compared groups. The diameters of the radial artery grafts, which were calculated by quantitative angiography in the postoperative period, were similar (2.66 mm in Group I, and 2.53 mm in Group II), as well as the flow variables (blood flow of 54.9 ml/min in Group I, and of 44.28 ml/min in Group II, and a flow reserve of 2.12 in Group I, and of 2 in Group II). On the other hand, the cinecoronariography revealed the presence of an occlusion in one graft, and of stenosis in five grafts of Group II, while Group I presented stenosis in only one radial artery graft (p = 0.091). CONCLUSIONS: The aortic coronary grafts of the radial artery displayed good functional and hemodynamic early performance. There was no difference between the groups regarding functional and hemodynamic early performance, and the morphological anatomical and histological features.