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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2006;29:71-73
© 2006 Elsevier Science NL

Ten-year Echo-Doppler evaluation of forearm circulation following radial artery removal for coronary artery bypass grafting

^a Department of Cardiac Surgery, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
^b Department of Angiology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
^c Divisione di Cardiochirurgia, Policlinico Uniersitario A. Gemelli, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy

Received 5 September 2005; received in revised form 13 October 2005; accepted 25 October 2005.

^_* Corresponding author. Tel.: +39 06 30154639; fax: +39 06 30 55 53 5. (Email: mgaudino{at}tiscali.it).

Objective: To investigate the chronic consequences of radial artery removal for coronary artery bypass surgery on the forearm circulation. Methods: Thirty-nine patients submitted to radial artery removal for coronary artery bypass were submitted to serial Echo-Doppler evaluation of the flow and morphology of the forearm arteries until 10 years follow-up. Results: The peak systolic velocity of the ulnar artery of the operated side was significantly higher than the control site. The intima-media thickness of the ulnar artery was always significantly higher on the operated side, and this difference reached statistical significance at 10 years follow-up. There was a significantly higher prevalence of atherosclerotic plaques in the ulnar artery (UA) of the operated versus control arm (11/39 vs 0/39; p = 0.005). Conclusions: Radial artery removal for coronary artery bypass surgery leads to a chronic increase in ulnar flow accompanied by increased intima-media thickness and accelerated atherosclerotic disease. These findings may have potentially important implications for surgical indications and patients management.

Key Words: Radial artery • Ulnar artery • Atherosclerosis

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