AORTA-CORONARY ARTERY REVASCULARIZATION WITH AN EXPANDED POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE VASCULAR GRAFT - PRELIMINARY-REPORT

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 76  (4) , 552-555
Abstract
Patients requiring coronary artery surgery may have had bilateral saphenous vein stripping, and the arm veins may not be adequate for use for coronary artery grafting. The internal mammary artery may not be long enough for use for the circumflex or right coronary artery anastomoses. A suitable substitute would be most welcome for these patients or for those with marked varicosities of the saphenous vein. Patients (5) received expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts (Gore-Tex vascular grafts) for coronary artery revascularization because veins of adequate size or length were not available at the time of operation. These 5 patients are alive 9-14 mo. after graft insertion. Of the 5 grafts, 4 were patent at the time of restudy 3-6 mo. postoperatively. More follow-up studies for far longer periods of time will be necessary before Gore-Tex vascular grafts can be recommended as the ideal material for coronary artery bypass surgery.