Project description:Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery still represents the gold standard for patients with complex multivessel coronary artery disease. However, graft occlusion still occurs in a significant proportion of CABG conduits, and oxidative stress is currently considered to be a potential contributor. Human serum albumin (HSA) represents the main antioxidant in plasma through its reduced amino acid Cys34, which can efficiently scavenge several oxidants. In a nested case-control study including 36 patients with occluded grafts and 38 age- and sex-matched patients without occlusion, we assessed the levels of the native mercaptoalbumin (HSA-SH) and oxidized thiolated form of albumin (Thio-HSA) in relation with graft occlusion within 5 years after CABG. We found that the plasma level of preoperative HSA-SH was significantly lower in patients with occluded graft at 5 years follow-up than in patients with graft patency. Furthermore, low HSA-SH remained independently associated with graft occlusion even after adjusting for preoperative D-dimer, a well-known marker of activated coagulation recently found to be associated with graft occlusion. In conclusion, the preoperative level of HSA-SH is independently associated with graft occlusion in CABG and represents a measurable and potentially druggable predictor.
Project description:PurposeSaphenous vein grafts (SVGs) sometimes occur as vein graft stenosis or failure in coronary artery bypass grafting. The purpose of this study was to detect the factors affecting vein graft atherosclerosis.MethodsWe performed two analysis. In the first analysis, we enrolled 120 grafts using conventionally harvested saphenous vein graft (C-SVG) and followed-up with multiple coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). We examined the factors that contribute to the graft atherosclerosis defined by graft failure at subsequent CCTA or substantial progression of graft stenosis (a decrease of ≥0.6 mm in diameter). In the second analysis, 66 grafts using no-touch harvested saphenous vein graft (N-SVG) were compared with those in the first analysis using C-SVG, focusing on the differences in intraoperative factors using propensity score-matched analysis.ResultsIn the first analysis, graft atherosclerosis+ group comprised 27 grafts, which had a larger SVG diameter, lower graft velocity, and higher graft/native ratio in diameter than the graft atherosclerosis- group. In the multivariable analysis, slow graft velocity and graft/native ≥2 in diameter were independently associated with the graft atherosclerosis. In the second analysis, the N-SVG group had a much greater graft velocity than the C-SVG group.ConclusionLower graft velocity and higher graft/native ratio in diameter were associated with the graft atherosclerosis. The N-SVG group had increased graft velocity, which may contribute to prevent the graft atherosclerosis.(Trial registration: UMIN Clinical Trial Registry no. UMIN000050482. Registered 3 March 2023, retrospectively registered.).
Project description:Importance:The effect of ticagrelor with or without aspirin on saphenous vein graft patency in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is unknown. Objective:To compare the effect of ticagrelor + aspirin or ticagrelor alone vs aspirin alone on saphenous vein graft patency 1 year after CABG. Design, Setting, and Participants:Randomized, multicenter, open-label, clinical trial among 6 tertiary hospitals in China. Eligible patients were aged 18 to 80 years with indications for elective CABG. Patients requiring urgent revascularization, concomitant cardiac surgery, dual antiplatelet or vitamin K antagonist therapy post-CABG, and who were at risk of serious bleeding were excluded. From July 2014 until November 2015, 1256 patients were identified and 500 were enrolled. Follow-up was completed in January 2017. Interventions:Patients were randomized (1:1:1) to start ticagrelor (90 mg twice daily) + aspirin (100 mg once daily) (n = 168), ticagrelor (90 mg twice daily) (n = 166), or aspirin (100 mg once daily) (n = 166) within 24 hours post-CABG. Neither patients nor treating physicians were blinded to allocation. Main Outcomes and Measures:Primary outcome was saphenous vein graft patency 1 year after CABG (FitzGibbon grade A) adjudicated independently by a committee blinded to allocation. Saphenous vein graft patency was assessed by multislice computed tomographic angiography or coronary angiography. Results:Among 500 randomized patients (mean age, 63.6 years; women, 91 [18.2%]), 461 (92.2%) completed the trial. Saphenous vein graft patency rates 1 year post-CABG were 88.7% (432 of 487 vein grafts) with ticagrelor + aspirin; 82.8% (404 of 488 vein grafts) with ticagrelor alone; and 76.5% (371 of 485 vein grafts) with aspirin alone. The difference between ticagrelor + aspirin vs aspirin alone was statistically significant (12.2% [95% CI, 5.2% to 19.2%]; P < .001), whereas the difference between ticagrelor alone vs aspirin alone was not statistically significant (6.3% [95% CI, -1.1% to 13.7%]; P = .10). Five major bleeding episodes occurred during 1 year of follow-up (3 with ticagrelor + aspirin; 2 with ticagrelor alone). Conclusions and Relevance:Among patients undergoing elective CABG with saphenous vein grafting, ticagrelor + aspirin significantly increased graft patency after 1 year vs aspirin alone; there was no significant difference between ticagrelor alone and aspirin alone. Further research with more patients is needed to assess comparative bleeding risks. Trial Registration:clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02201771.
Project description:Background and aim of the studyMany studies support that the no-touch (NT) procedure can improve the patency rate of vein grafts. However, it is not clear that the sequential vein graft early expansion in the NT technique during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). This study will explore this issue.MethodsThis was a prospective single-center randomized controlled clinical trial. A total of 100 patients undergoing off-pump CABG with the sequential saphenous graft were randomly assigned to two groups: the NT and conventional (CON) groups. Perioperative and postoperative data were collected during the hospital stay. The mean diameter of sequential grafts was measured using cardiac computed tomography angiography 3 months after the operation.ResultsThere was a significant difference in the average diameter of sequential grafts between the two groups (NT: [2.98 ± 0.42], CON: [3.26 ± 0.51], p = .005). There was no difference in occlusion of sequential venous grafts between the two groups (NT: 4/48 [8.3%], CON: 5/49 [10.2%], p = 1.000). There were differences in surgery time between the two groups (NT: 220 [188,240], CON: 190 [175,230], p = .009).ConclusionsThe sequential graft early expansion in the NT technique is not as pronounced as that in the conventional technique, which may have a long-term protective effect on the grafts.
Project description:ImportanceIn vitro and animal model data suggest that intraoperative preservation solutions may influence endothelial function and vein graft failure (VGF) after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Clinical studies to validate these findings are lacking.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of vein graft preservation solutions on VGF and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing CABG surgery.Design, setting, and participantsData from the Project of Ex-Vivo Vein Graft Engineering via Transfection IV (PREVENT IV) study, a phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that enrolled 3014 patients at 107 US sites from August 1, 2002, through October 22, 2003, were used. Eligibility criteria for the trial included CABG surgery for coronary artery disease with at least 2 planned vein grafts.InterventionsPreservation of vein grafts in saline, blood, or buffered saline solutions.Main outcomes and measuresOne-year angiographic VGF and 5-year rates of death, myocardial infarction, and subsequent revascularization.ResultsMost patients had grafts preserved in saline (1339 [44.4%]), followed by blood (971 [32.2%]) and buffered saline (507 [16.8%]). Baseline characteristics were similar among groups. One-year VGF rates were much lower in the buffered saline group than in the saline group (patient-level odds ratio [OR], 0.59 [95% CI, 0.45-0.78; P < .001]; graft-level OR, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.49-0.79; P < .001]) or the blood group (patient-level OR, 0.62 [95% CI, 0.46-0.83; P = .001]; graft-level OR, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.48-0.81; P < .001]). Use of buffered saline solution also tended to be associated with a lower 5-year risk for death, myocardial infarction, or subsequent revascularization compared with saline (hazard ratio, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.64-1.02; P = .08]) and blood (0.81 [0.63-1.03; P = .09]) solutions.Conclusions and relevancePatients undergoing CABG whose vein grafts were preserved in a buffered saline solution had lower VGF rates and trends toward better long-term clinical outcomes compared with patients whose grafts were preserved in saline- or blood-based solutions.Trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00042081.
Project description:Pseudoaneurysm formation has been reported in degenerated coronary artery saphenous vein bypass grafts, as well as in native coronary arteries after interventional procedures or blunt trauma. In contrast, pseudoaneurysm formation arising from the anastomotic site of native coronary vessels soon after coronary artery bypass grafting is rare, and neither the clinical presentation of this phenomenon nor its treatment is well described. We present the case of a 63-year-old man, a recent coronary artery bypass grafting patient, who presented with acute coronary syndrome due to a large and expanding pseudoaneurysm of the saphenous vein-to-ramus intermedius artery graft anastomosis. After several attempts, we successfully treated the pseudoaneurysm by means of percutaneous coil embolization. To our knowledge, this is the first report of acute coronary syndrome secondary to a pseudoaneurysm at the coronary artery-saphenous vein graft anastomosis. In addition, this appears to be the first report of the percutaneous treatment of such a pseudoaneurysm by means of coil embolization.
Project description:ImportanceObservational studies have suggested that the use of radial artery grafts for coronary artery bypass grafting may improve clinical outcomes compared with the use of saphenous vein grafts, but this has not been confirmed in randomized trials.ObjectiveTo compare clinical outcomes between patients receiving radial artery vs saphenous vein grafts for coronary artery bypass grafting after long-term follow-up.Design, setting, and participantsPatient-level pooled analysis comparing radial artery vs saphenous vein graft in adult patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting from 5 countries (Australia, Italy, Serbia, South Korea, and the United Kingdom), with enrollment from 1997 to 2009 and follow-up completed in 2019.InterventionsPatients were randomized to undergo either radial artery (n?=?534) or saphenous vein (n?=?502) grafts for coronary artery bypass grafting.Main outcomes and measuresThe primary outcome was a composite of death, myocardial infarction, or repeat revascularization and the secondary outcome was a composite of death or myocardial infarction.ResultsA total of 1036 patients were randomized (mean age, 66.6 years in the radial artery group vs 67.1 years in the saphenous vein group; 376 [70.4%] men in the radial artery group vs 351 [69.9%] in the saphenous vein group); 942 (90.9%) of the originally randomized patients completed 10 years of follow-up (510 in the radial artery group). At a median (interquartile range) follow-up of 10 (10-11) years, the use of the radial artery, compared with the saphenous vein, in coronary artery bypass grafting was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of the composite outcome of death, myocardial infarction, or repeat revascularization (220 vs 237 total events; 41 vs 47 events per 1000 patient-years; hazard ratio, 0.73 [95% CI, 0.61-0.88]; P?<?.001) and of the composite of death or myocardial infarction (188 vs 193 total events; 35 vs 38 events per 1000 patient-years; hazard ratio, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.63-0.94]; P?=?.01).Conclusions and relevanceIn this individual participant data meta-analysis with a median follow-up of 10 years, among patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, the use of the radial artery compared with the saphenous vein was associated with a lower risk of a composite of cardiovascular outcomes.
Project description:ObjectivesCoronary artery bypass grafting for advanced coronary artery disease is a well-established procedure with excellent long-term results. The issue of saphenous vein graft (SVG) performance and its relation to clinical symptoms and thereby the potential for improvement by using superior grafts are still not fully understood. We aim to estimate the contribution of late SVG failure to the long-term outcome.MethodsA study population operated between 1997 and 2020, with an internal thoracic artery with a single distal anastomosis and 1, 2 or 3 distal SVG anastomoses, was isolated from the Swedish Web System for Enhancement and Development of Evidence-Based Care in Heart Disease Evaluated According to Recommended Therapies registry. Data regarding postoperative clinically driven coronary angiography and status of bypass grafts were collected.ResultsThe study population consisted of 44 951 patients. Clinically driven angiography occurred in 10.1% (9.5-10.8), 7.9% (7.6-8.3) and 7.1% (6.7-7.5), respectively, of patients within 3 years and 23.6% (22.6-24.5), 20.0% (19.5-20.6) and 17.5% (16.9-18.2), respectively, of patients within 10 years after surgery. Excluding the first 3 postoperative years, no failed SVGs were found in >75%, 60% and 45%, respectively, of cases when an angiography was performed in the first 10 years after surgery.ConclusionsThe results suggest that the risk of symptomatic graft failure due to vein graft disease during the first 10 years after surgery is in the range of 1-2% for every grafted coronary vessel and provide an estimate for the upper limit of the improvements in results that could be achieved by replacing SVGs with superior grafts.
Project description:The saphenous vein is the most common conduit used in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) yet its failure rate is higher compared to arterial grafts. An improvement in saphenous vein graft performance is therefore a major priority in CABG. No-touch harvesting of the saphenous vein is one of the few interventions that has shown improved patency rates, comparable to that of the left internal thoracic artery. After more than two decades of no-touch research, this technique is now recognized as a Class IIa recommendation in the 2018 European Society of Cardiology and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery guidelines on myocardial revascularization. In this review, we describe the structural alterations that occur in conventional versus no-touch saphenous vein grafts and how these changes affect graft patency. In addition, we discuss various strategies aimed at repairing saphenous vein grafts prepared at conventional CABG.