New guidelines recommend use of arterial grafts for coronary bypass

Editor's Note

New clinical practice guidelines from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons recommend the use of arteries from the chest and forearm rather than using veins from the leg for coronary artery bypass grafting.

The left internal thoracic artery is considered the gold standard conduit for coronary bypass and has been associated with improved survival, graft patency, and freedom from cardiac events, compared with saphenous vein grafts. However, less than 10% of patients receive two or more arterial grafts.

The guidelines include using:

• an internal thoracic artery to bypass the left anterior descending artery
• a second arterial graft as an adjunct to the left internal thoracic artery
• a second arterial graft when grafting coronary arteries with severe stenosis.

Chicago (December 8, 2015) - The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has released new clinical practice guidelines that recommend expanding the use of arteries from the chest and forearm rather than using veins from the leg when performing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery in certain patients.