ObjectiveTo describe a technique of side-to-side anastomosis of distal end of sequential vein grafts to small target arteries in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and evaluate its clinical outcomes.
MethodsTwelve patients received side-to-side anastomosis at distal end of sequential vein grafts during off-pump CABG in Beijing Anzhen Hospital between October 2012 and March 2013. There were 7 male and 5 female patients with their age of 68.0±3.6 years. To evaluate clinical outcomes of the technique,intraoperative graft blood flow,pulsatility index (PI) and postoperative echocardiography and electrocardiography were examined.
ResultsAll the 12 patients successfully received off-pump CABG. Mean graft flow and PI near the distal end anastomosis were 21.1±8.6 ml/min and 2.1±1.0,respectively. Four patients who initially received end-to-side anastomosis underwent revision into side-to-side anastomosis intraoperatively,whose graft flow increased from 2 ml/min,7 ml/min,3 ml/min and 5 ml/min to 10 ml/min,32 ml/min,13 ml/min and 23 ml/min respectively,and whose PI decreased from 18.2,7.1,12.6 and 13.4 to 2.2,0.9,1.8 and 2.8,respectively. Distal end of target arteries were all posterior descending artery. The number of bypass grafts was 4.0±0.7. All the patients were discharged 7-10 days postoperatively. None of the patients had low cardiac output syndrome,malignant arrhythmias or perioperative myocardial infarction in this study.
ConclusionSide-to-side anastomosis of distal end of sequential vein grafts to small target arteries in off-pump CABG can produce higher anastomotic patency. Long-term follow-up outcomes of this technique are needed before widely clinical application.
