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Letters to the Editor

Reply to Nezic et al. Interpretation of string sign in radial artery patency bypass grafts

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Epworth Hospital, Richmond, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Received 18 May 2009; accepted 20 May 2009.

^_* Corresponding author. Address: Victorian Heart Centre, Epworth Hospital, Bridge Road, Richmond, Victoria, Australia. Tel.: +61 3 9429 4055; fax: +61 3 9428 7118. (Email: brianbuxton@ozemail.com.au).

Key Words: Coronary artery disease • String sign • Patency • RAPCO trial

The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below.

In response to the Letter-to-the-Editor [1] by Nezic et al., we have reviewed problems with definitions and interpretation of graft patencies. Commonly used definitions are anatomic, physiologic or a combination. The use of a simple anatomical definition of patency and complete occlusion in the Radial Artery Patency Study (RAPS) and Radial Artery and Radial Artery Versus Saphenous Vein Patency (RSVP) trials [2] and composite definition of graft failure in the Radial Artery Patency and Clinical Outcomes (RAPCO) trial [3] have led to conflicting interpretations of similar outcomes of radial . . . [Full Text of this Article]