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Changes in sternal blood flow after different methods of internal thoracic artery harvesting.

OBJECTIVE: The study was designed to assess the early changes in sternal perfusion after midline sternotomy and different (skeletonized versus semiskeletonized) techniques of internal thoracic artery (ITA) harvesting. METHODS: The experiments were performed in the swine model. After midline sternotomy, ITA harvesting (skeletonized technique) was performed unilaterally in Group I (6 animals). The ITA and the internal thoracic vein (ITV) were harvested (semiskeletonized technique) in Group II (5 animals). The contralateral sternal half served as a control. Using a thermographic camera with a 0.06 degrees C sensitivity, sternal perfusion was assessed 2 and 5 hours after surgery. RESULTS: Midline sternotomy alone did not affect sternal blood flow. A statistically significant ( p < 0.05) reduction in perfusion of the involved sternal half in comparison to the control side was detected at 2 and 5 hours after surgery. The degree of perfusion deficit was not related to the harvesting technique. CONCLUSIONS: Skeletonized and semiskeletonized ITA harvesting techniques caused a similar acute reduction in sternal perfusion during the early postoperative period and this effect lasted for at least 5 hours.

Animals↗

Endoscopic internal thoracic artery dissection leads to significant reduction of pain after minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate postoperative pain levels after endoscopic versus conventional internal thoracic artery (ITA) dissection for minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass graft surgery (MIDCABG) surgery. Results were compared with pain levels associated with conventional cardiac bypass operations through a median sternotomy. METHODS: Of 190 patients included in this prospective study, 24 patients had endoscopic ITA takedown (MIDCABG-endo) using the da Vinci telemanipulator followed by a manual coronary anastomosis through a left minithoracotomy. A conventional MIDCABG operation (MIDCABG-conv) was performed in 73 patients with ITA preparation under direct vision. Postoperative pain levels after conventional CABG through a median sternotomy (CABG-conv, n = 93) served as controls. A standarized questionnaire including visual analog scale (VAS) was used for prospective pain assessment from POD 1 to 7. RESULTS: Pain levels (VAS) declined in all groups from POD 1 to 7. Overall pain levels were significantly lower in the MIDCABG-endo group as compared with MIDCABG-conv and CABG-conv groups, respectively (p < 0.001, general linear model). There was no significant difference between the MIDCABG-conv and CABG-conv (p = not significant, general linear model) groups. Furthermore, patients after MIDCABG-endo required fewer nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioid medications, postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: An endoscopic ITA takedown in MIDCABG surgery leads to significantly reduced postoperative pain levels possibly because of less rib retraction.

Aged↗

Novel method to enhance sternal healing after harvesting bilateral internal thoracic arteries with use of basic fibroblast growth factor.

BACKGROUND: Poor healing of the sternum often limits the use of bilateral internal thoracic arteries (BITAs) in coronary bypass surgery, especially for diabetic patients. We have reported that basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) enhanced regeneration of the skull. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of topical use of bFGF on sternal healing after removing the BITAs. METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty-five Wistar rats were subjected to median sternotomy and were divided into 3 groups: 15 had the BITAs removed and had a bFGF sheet applied on the posterior table of the sternum (group A), 15 had just the BITAs removed (group B), and 15 had intact BITAs (group C). Five and 10 rats were euthanized 2 and 4 weeks after surgery, respectively, in all 3 groups. Peristernal blood flow, measured with use of a noncontact laser flowmeter, decreased after removal of the BITAs (P:<0.001). Four weeks after the surgery, PBF markedly increased only in group A (9.7+/-1.2, 6.5+/-0.6, and 8.2+/-0.5 mL x min(-1) x 100 g(-1) for groups A, B, and C, respectively; P:<0.01 by ANOVA). Four weeks after surgery, the following findings were obtained only in group A: (1) nearly completely healed sternum filled with regenerated bone tissue, (2) marked angiogenesis around the sternum, and (3) osteoblasts in an active form around the edge of the sternum. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that use of the bFGF sheet offset the sternal ischemia and accelerated sternal healing. This method may help to decrease sternal necrosis in high-risk patients or allow extended use of BITAs in coronary bypass surgery.

Administration, Topical↗

Skeletonized internal thoracic artery harvest reduces pain and dysesthesia and improves sternal perfusion after coronary artery bypass surgery: a randomized, double-blind, within-patient comparison.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies suggest that skeletonization of the internal thoracic artery (ITA) can improve conduit flow and length and reduce deep sternal infections and postoperative pain. We performed a randomized, double-blind, within-patient comparison of skeletonized and nonskeletonized ITAs in patients undergoing coronary surgery. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients (n = 48) undergoing bilateral ITA harvest were randomized to receive 1 skeletonized and 1 nonskeletonized ITA. Intraoperatively, ITA flow was assessed directly and with a Doppler flow probe before and after topical application of papaverine. ITA harvest time and conduit length were recorded. A blinded assessment of pain (visual analog scale) and dysesthesia (physical examination) was performed at discharge, at 2 weeks, and at a 3-month follow-up. Sternal perfusion was assessed with nuclear imaging (n = 7). Skeletonization required longer ITA harvest times (27 +/- 1 versus 24 +/- 1 minutes; P = 0.04). There was a trend toward increased ITA length in the skeletonized group (18.2 +/- 0.3 versus 17.7 +/- 0.3 cm; P = 0.09). In situ ITA flow was lower in skeletonized arteries (7.4 +/- 0.9 versus 10.1 +/- 1.0 mL/min; P = 0.01) and increased significantly after ITA division and papaverine application. Postanastomotic flows were similar between groups. Skeletonization was associated with decreased pain at the 3-month follow-up and a reduction in major sensory deficits at the 4-week and 3-month (17% versus 50%; P = 0.002) follow-ups. Baseline adjusted sternal perfusion was significantly greater by 17 +/- 6% (P = 0.03) on the skeletonized side. CONCLUSIONS: Skeletonization results in reduced postoperative pain and dysesthesia and increased sternal perfusion at follow-up but does not produce increased conduit flow. ITA skeletonization may be a strategy for reducing morbidity after CABG.

Coronary Artery Bypass↗

Analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma fed by internal thoracic artery

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the clinical features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) fed by the internal thoracic artery (ITA). Methods: In seven patients HCC fed by the ITA was confirmed by digital subtraction angiography. The number of previous transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE), the period from the first TAE to TAE of the ITA, tumor location, tumor size, and occlusion of the hepatic artery (HA) and other collateral vessels were explored in each case. Results: The HCCs were located in S4 of the liver (n = 5) and in S8 (n = 1) and were fed by the right ITA and one nodule in S2-3 was fed by the left ITA. Tumor size was 3-10 cm. The number of previous TAE of the HA ranged from 2 to 12. The period from the first TAE to TAE of the ITA was 3-53 months. Angiography of these patients showed occlusion of the HA in six cases, and of the extrahepatic collaterals including the inferior phrenic artery (IPA) in five cases, intercostal artery (ICA) in one case, and epicholedocal artery (EPA) in one case. Conclusion: The ITA often supplies HCC located in the anterior superior region of the liver under the diaphragm; there can be long-term survival with repeated TAE and occlusion of HA.

Journal Article↗

What can Doppler wave forms of the left internal thoracic artery teach us? -The efficacy of apical transthoracic approach of Doppler echocardiography-.

The Doppler wave form along the proximal left internal thoracic artery (LITA), which is detected by the parasternal or suplaclavicular view, shows a different pattern from that of the distal side of the LITA due to the effect of blood pulsatility from the subclavian artery. We evaluated postoperative LITA function immediately after surgery with an apical approach of transthoracic pulsed Doppler echocardiography in 124 patients and compared its results with that of one month postoperative Doppler findings and graft angiogram. The LITA was effectively detected and good quality Doppler waveforms obtained in 120 (96.8%) patients. The LITA diameter was significantly enlarged in the first month after surgery compared with that of the postoperative early phase (1.99 0.31 vs. 1.71 0.72 mm, p<0.05). The diastolic peak velocity and diastolic/systolic velocity ratio (D/S) in the postoperative early phase were 0.26 0.08 m/sec. and 1.54 0.04, respectively. These results were unchanged one month postoperatively. In graft angiography, all LITAs were patent, but three types of abnormal findings around the anastomosis such as string sign, anastomotic stenosis, and distal native coronary stenosis were indicated in 6 (5.5%) patients. The Doppler study in these patients showed decreasing diastolic peak velocity and D/S of less than 1.0. LITA Doppler wave with D/S of more than 1.0 was associated with a good angiographic finding. This technique was considered not only noninvasive but also noninfective method for postoperative early graft assessment.

Aged↗

Pathological Analysis of the Radial and Internal Thoracic Artery.

To evaluate the usefulness of the radial artery (RA) as a graft material for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), histologic studies of the RA were performed and compared with the internal thoracic artery (ITA). Specimens were obtained from both ends of 12 RAs and the distal side of the ITA during the operation. The degree of arteriosclerosis was evaluated using an NIH Image 1.57 system. The pathological index of arterioslerotic change was expressed as the ratio of cross-section (Rx: internal luminal area/tunica media area). The mean arteriosclerotic ratio (Rx) of the 12 proximal sides of the RA specimens was 0.18 +/- 0.03, the 12 distal sides 0.27 +/- 0.17, and the 12 ITAs was 0.14 +/- 0.05, respectively. There was significant difference between the distal side of the RA and the ITA. The distal side of the RA was a little greater than the proximal, but there was no significant difference between the proximal side of the RA and the ITA. From the microscopic findings, the tunica media of the RA is poor in elastic fibers and rich in smooth muscle cells compared with the ITA. The internal elastic lumina of the RA is developed as well as the ITA, but more calcification was found in the distal RA than in the others. According to these results, although care must be taken for arteriosclerosis of the distal RA, it can be expected to be a suitable bypass material for CABG.

Journal Article↗

Is the internal thoracic artery the conduit of choice to replace a stenotic vein graft?

Reoperative coronary artery bypass grafting secondary to saphenous vein graft (SVG) stenosis is a mushrooming problem. The internal thoracic artery graft (ITA) provides superior long-term patency, but its flow is limited and may be inadequate to meet large myocardial demands. To evaluate the efficacy of the ITA as a replacement conduit for a stenotic SVG, 387 consecutive patients undergoing reoperative bypass grafting from 1985 to 1990 with a stenotic SVG to a totally obstructed left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) were analyzed. The patients were divided into four groups according to the management of the previously placed SVG. Group I (n = 155) underwent graft replacement with a new SVG. Group II (n = 90) received an ITA with the old SVG left intact. In group III (n = 37), an ITA was placed to the LAD with an SVG to the diagonal (old graft interrupted). Group IV (n = 104) had an ITA only to the LAD (old graft interrupted). There were 14 deaths (3.6%). Mortality rate was 7.9% for group IV and 2.1% for groups I through III (p = 0.01). Multivariate analyses identified advancing age (p = 0.001), ITA only (p = 0.001), and female sex (p = 0.04) as independent predictors of operative mortality. Evidence of hypoperfusion in the distribution of the LAD was present in 19 patients, all of whom were in group IV (18.9%). Predictors of hypoperfusion were moderate/severe left ventricular function (p = 0.02) and ITA to the LAD with interruption of the old graft (p = 0.0001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cause of Death↗

Influence of diabetes and bilateral internal thoracic artery grafts on long-term outcome for multivessel coronary artery bypass grafting.

OBJECTIVE: Diabetes mellitus is a major independent risk factor for morbidity and mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The aim of this study was to assess the effect of bilateral (B) internal thoracic artery grafting (ITA) in diabetic patients with multivessel CABG. METHODS: Between 1985 and 1995, 4382 patients underwent primary isolated multivessel CABG with ITA grafting and concomitant saphenous vein grafting (SVG). Outcome of diabetic and nondiabetic patients undergoing single (S) ITA+SVG (n=419 and 2079) and BITA+SVG (n=214 and 1594) grafting was obtained at a mean follow-up of 11+/-3 years. RESULTS: Diabetic patients were older, included more women, and had more obesity, hypertension and peripheral vascular disease than nondiabetic patients. Deep sternal wound infection rate was 1.9% for diabetic patients vs 1.2% for nondiabetic patients (P=0.2) and 30-day mortality was 1.7 vs 1.8% (P=0.9). Cox regression analysis with interaction term and propensity scoring showed that BITA grafting decreased the risk of death (Hazard Ratio=0.72 [0.57-0.91, 95%CI]) and coronary reoperation (HR=0.38 [0.19-0.77]) in both diabetic and nondiabetic patients, with no significant interaction noted. BITA grafting decreased the risk of myocardial infarction at long-term follow-up in nondiabetic patients (HR=0.72 [0.60-0.86]) but not in diabetic patients. Ten-year freedom rate from myocardial infarction in diabetic patients was 80 and 76% for SITA and BITA grafting patients, respectively. However, survival following myocardial infarction was better for patients who underwent BITA grafting, in both diabetic and nondiabetic subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: BITA+SVG grafting in diabetic patients improves survival and decrease coronary reoperation compared with SITA+SVG at long-term follow-up. Survival following myocardial infarction is improved with BITA grafting.

Age Factors↗

[In situ pedicle graft and coronary-coronary bypass grafting using internal thoracic artery in management of multiple lesions of the left anterior descending coronary artery].

INTRODUCTION: Nowadays, coronary-coronary bypass grafting (CCBG) has been applied in patients with heavily calcified ascending aorta or due to lack of graft material. CASE REPORT: We describe a case in which the patient's large left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery, running well over the cardiac apex, presented with proximal and distal stenosis. Although the pedicled left internal thoracic artery (ITA) graft is sometimes too short for sequential bypass in cases of distal stenosis of the LAD coronary artery, we used a free, short segment of the pedicled left ITA for coronary-coronary bypass grafting. The in situ remnant of the left pedicled ITA was used to bypass the proximal LAD stenosis. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful. Predischarge angiogram (on the 9th postoperative day) showed an in situ left ITA graft as well as afree coronarycoronary ITA graft. The patient had a regularfollow-up after 3 months, and was classified as New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I. DISCUSSION: Primarily used in aorto-coronary bypass surgery (termino-terminal interposition of the saphenous vein between two parts of a resected coronary artery), CCBG was revised latter on, and from hemodynamic point of view the physiologic restoration of coronary blood flow has been confirmed CCBG might be an attractive approach for bypassing distal lesions of large coronary arteries (combined with arterial or venous grafting of targeted arteries, if proximal stenoses are also present). The proximal remnant of ITA can be used as an in situ or free graft.

Coronary Artery Bypass↗

[Use of the internal thoracic artery in repeat myocardial revascularization surgery].

The incidence of redo myocardial revascularization is increasing lately. These procedures are accompanied by the higher operative risk, and the use of internal thoracic artery graft may have additional negative impact on early-rization. Mortality and morbidity in this group did not differ significantly compared to a group where only venous grafts were used. Independent predictors of the unfavorable outcome (for both groups) were the presence of the chronic pulmonary disease, age over 65 and NYHA functional class IV. In the group with internal thoracic graft it was the age over 65, while in the group with only vein grafts it was chronic pulmonary disease. We have discussed potential problems during the redo procedure in patients in whom internal thoracic graft was used during the first procedure.

Aged↗

Comparison between multivessel stenting with drug eluting to the LAD and bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting.

BACKGROUND: Reduction of restenosis and reinterventions was reported with drug-eluting stents (Cypher). This study compares results of multivessel Cypher stenting with bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) grafting. METHODS: From January 2002 to June 2004, 725 consecutive patients underwent multivessel myocardial revascularization, 95 by 2 or more Cypher stents and 630 by BITA. After matching for age, sex, and extent of coronary artery disease, 2 groups (87 patients each) were used to compare the 2 revascularization modalities. RESULTS: The 2 groups were similar; however, left main and the use of an intra-aortic balloon pump were more prevalent in the BITA group. The number of coronary vessels treated per patient was higher in the BITA group (2.71 versus 2.24 for BITA and Cypher, respectively; P = .001). Mean follow-up was 12 months. Thirty-day mortality was 0 in both groups. There were no late deaths in the BITA group and 2 (2.3%) in the Cypher group (P value was not significant). Angina returned in 29.9% of the Cypher group and 12.6% of the BITA group (P = .005). Multivariable Cox analysis revealed percutaneous intervention (PCI) (Cypher group) to be the only independent predictor of angina recurrence (Odds Ratio 2.62, 95% Confidence Interval 1.11-6.17). There were 10 reinterventions (PCI) in the Cypher group compared to 5 in the BITA group. One-year reintervention-free survival (Kaplan-Meier) of the BITA group was 96% compared to 88% in the Cypher group (P = .015). CONCLUSIONS: Midterm clinical outcome of surgically treated patients is still better. However, the reintervention gap between surgery and percutaneous interventions was reduced by treating 2 or more coronary vessels with Cypher stents.

Aged↗

[Comparative analysis of the flows of left internal thoracic artery grafts dissected in the pedicled versus skeletonized manner for myocardial revascularization surgery].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the free blood flow, caliber, and length of the left internal thoracic artery (LITA), dissected in the pedicled (P) and skeletonized (S) manners, during surgery before and after topical vasodilator (TV) application. METHODS: A randomized, blind, clinical trial was carried out with 50 patients undergoing elective myocardial revascularization to assess the use of the LITA in situ in its pedicled or skeletonized form. The 25 patients in the pedicled group (GP) had NYHA class II or III angina, ejection fraction (EF) of 50.8+/-9.2%, and 16 were of the male sex. The patients in the skeletonized group (SG) had NYHA class II angina, EF of 46.8+/-9.3%, and 19 were of the male sex. The measurements were performed before extracorporeal circulation and divided into 2 phases: phase 1 (before topical papaverine application) and phase 2 (15 min after topical application of papaverine, 2.5 mg/mL, at 37 degrees C). During the measurements, mean blood pressure, central venous pressure, and heart rate were monitored. RESULTS: The phase 1 and 2 results are as follows: 1) PG: blood flow, 46+/-16 and 77+/-28 mL/min; caliber, 1.4+/-0.1 and 1.7+/-0.1 mm, respectively; 2) SG: blood flow, 57+/-27 and 97+/-35 mL/min; and caliber, 1.4+/-0.1 and 1.8+/-0.2 mm, respectively. No significant differences were observed in length. CONCLUSION: The LITA in SG had a significant increase in blood flow and caliber after the use of TV compared with blood flow and caliber in PG (P=0.03 and P=0.01, respectively).

Adult↗

Comparison of ultrasonic scalpel versus argon-beam and conventional electrocautery for internal thoracic artery dissection.

BACKGROUND: We used an ultrasonic scalpel (USS) and an argon beam coagulator (ABC) to test their effectiveness and feasibility in comparison to conventional electrocautery for Internal Thoracic Artery (ITA) takedown, time for takedown, number of clips, thermal impact, along with morphological integrity assessed by histology. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety-three patients undergoing elective coronary bypass surgery were prospectively randomized into three groups. In thirty-one patients, either an ultrasonic scalpel (USS, group A), an argon-beam coagulator (ABC, group B) or conventional electrocautery (CEC, group C) was used for ITA harvesting. RESULTS: Harvest times for ITA takedown using CEC (16.7 +/- 6 min) was significantly faster compared to ABC (21.6 +/- 8.1 min; p = 0.02) and USS (24.1 +/- 8.1 min; p < 0.001). There was no significant difference comparing harvest times of USS and ABC (p = 0.1). The number of hemostatic clips used was significantly lower when using USS (5.5 +/- 4.6 clips) compared to both CEC (16.6 +/- 6.2 clips; p < 0.001) and ABC (20.4 +/- 6.5 clips; p < 0.001) and significantly lower using CEC compared to ABC (p < 0.007). There were no significant differences in bleeding points within the tissue bed among the groups (ABC 11/31 patients, CEC 11/31 patients and USS 12/31 patients). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that dissection of the ITA pedicle can be safely done with USS, ABC, and CEC. However, USS is associated with less hemostatic clip demand but prolonged harvest time compared it to ABC and CEC; histological assessment revealed no significant difference when comparing groups and equipment used. A variety in design of the hooks may probably ease ultracision practicability.

Aged↗

Evaluation of flow characteristics of the left internal thoracic artery graft: perioperative color Doppler ultrasonography versus intraoperative free-bleeding technique.

From October 2000 through April 2001, we prospectively evaluated the flow characteristics of the left internal thoracic artery (LITA) graft in a homogenous group of 44 men with isolated severe proximal left anterior descending coronary artery stenosis who underwent elective coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass. We performed transthoracic color Doppler ultrasonography preoperatively and repeated this examination in each patient between the 5th and 7th postoperative days, obtaining cross-sectional area, total flow volume, diastolic velocity, systolic velocity, mean velocity, pulsatility index, and resistance index. These results were compared with those of the intraoperative free-bleeding technique. Good-quality Doppler images of the LITA were easily obtained with a combined supraclavicular-parasternal approach. After surgery, systolic flow velocity, pulsatility index, and resistance index decreased significantly, but diastolic flow velocity and mean flow velocity increased significantly. The intraoperative flow volume obtained by the free-bleeding technique (32.42 +/- 12.33 mL/min) was significantly less than both pre- and postoperative ultrasonographic values (42.22 +/- 10.77 mL/min and 45.36 +/- 19.52 mL/min, respectively). No significant difference was found when changes in LITA values were compared between patients with (n=19) and without (n=25) normal anterior wall motion. We conclude that color Doppler ultrasonography is a reliable noninvasive technique for preoperative evaluation of the LITA as a graft and for postoperative long-term follow-up of graft function. However the intraoperative free-bleeding technique is not reliable for flow-volume measurement due to anesthesia-related hemodynamic changes and vasospasm. Color Doppler can prevent useless LITA harvesting and decrease the need for postoperative LITA angiography.

Adult↗

Sequential use of internal thoracic artery in myocardial revascularization: mid- and long-term results of 430 patients(1).

BACKGROUND: There is still controversy about early and late results of sequenital use of internal thoracic artery (ITA) in coronary artery bypass (CAB) operations. METHODS: In this study, we report on a series of 430 consecutive patients who underwent CAB operations between 1986 and 1998, with the use of at least one sequential ITA graft. The patients, 379 men and 51 women had a mean age of 56.4 years (range 29-80 years). Both ITA grafts were used in 227 (52.8%) patients. A total of 1744 (mean 4.05 per patient) distal coronary anastomoses were performed: 1172 of which (mean 2.72) were arterial and 980 (mean 2.28) were sequential ITA anastomoses. RESULTS: Thirty-day mortality was 1.8% (n=8 patients). Perioperative myocardial infarction occurred in 12 patients (2.8%) and five of them (1.2%) were confined to the sequential ITA grafted area. Follow-up ranged from 1 month to 13 years (mean 63+/-37.7 months) for 372 patients (86.5%). Nine patients died during follow-up period. According to Kaplan-Meier method, 5 and 10 year survival rates were 95.6 and 93.4%, respectively. Coronary angiography was performed in 64 patients (17.2%) after a mean of 33 months. In 31 of these patients angiography was performed due to return of symptoms. Overall patency rate of sequential ITA anastomoses was 91.7% (111/121). Two patients underwent repeat CAB operations. CONCLUSION: Sequential use of ITA grafts was not associated with the increased perioperative mortality and morbidity and has the potential to improve the long-term results of CAB surgery because of excellent patency rates of sequential ITA anastomoses.

Adult↗