| Abstract: | Bovine internal mammary artery graft (BIOFLOW: BIOVASCULAR INC. Netherlands) has been used for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in 8 patients since May 1988 at Osaka Medical College Hospital. There were 4 males and 4 females. Mean age was 66.9 year-old ranged from 62 to 72. Two were emergency CABG and other six had inadequate saphenous veins. The internal mammary artery and/or the saphenous vein were concomitantly used in all patients. Number of grafts was 2 to 6 with the mean of 2.9 and BIOFLOW (phi 3 mm) was anastomosed to 2 left anterior descending arteries and 6 right coronary arteries, the mean graft flow of BIOFLOW was 72.5 ml/min ranged from 52 to 120 ml/min. One patient died of ventricular arrhythmia on 5 postoperative day. There was no new Q wave infarction. Postoperative angiogram within 2 months showed 4 of 5 BIOFLOW grafts were patent, and no stenosis was found in those patent grafts. All survivors returned to home with a freedom from angina. From our experience, although the number was small and the follow-up period was short, BIOFLOW can be expected as an conduit of choice for CABG when the saphenous vein was not available and the internal mammary artery and the gastroepiploic artery were not enough to accomplish the complete revascularization. |
