Patency of sequential and individual saphenous vein grafts after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting

Abstract Background: The impact of the grafting techniques (individual or sequential grafts) on the graft patency of off‐pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) has not been reported. The mid‐term patency rates for individual and sequential saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) as coronary bypass conduits of OPCAB were compared. Methods: A total of 714 distal coronary anastomoses on 448 SVGs were assessed using a 64‐multislice computed tomography in 398 patients at an average of 26.4 ± 23.6 months (three months to five years) after an OPCAB procedure. The blood flow of grafts in the proximal segment of individual and sequential SVGs was also compared. Results: The overall patency of sequential SVGs (95.9%) was significantly superior to individual ones (90.6%, p = 0.022). The anastomoses on the sequential conduits had better patency (95.1% vs. 90.1%, p = 0.013). The patency of side‐to‐side anastomoses (97%) was better than that of end‐to‐side anastomoses (93.1%) and also better than that of the individual end‐to‐side anastomoses (90.1%, p = 0.002, p = 0.041). No significant difference was observed between the two approaches in regard to the three major coronary systems; however, anastomoses on sequential grafts had superior patency to those on individual grafts in the right coronary system (p = 0.008). The blood flows of double and triple sequential SVGs were significantly higher than those of individual ones (p < 0.001, p = 0.048, respectively). Conclusions: The mid‐term patency of a sequential SVG conduit after OPCAB is excellent and generally superior to that of an individual one. (J Card Surg 2010;25:633‐637)