An alternative route for sequential venous grafts of the lateral aspect of the heart.

An alternative route, using the oblique pericardial sinus, is described for single and sequential vein grafts of the lateral aspect of the heart. This technique prevents kinking of the graft, reduces the need for excess vein length, and is an elegant way of protecting the graft in case a resternotomy is necessary. When the route was used in 63 patients, no technique-related morbidity or mortality was encountered.