Does the radial artery provide better long-term patency than the saphenous vein?

A best evidence topic in cardiac surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether the radial artery provides better long-term patency than the saphenous vein. Altogether 379 papers were found using the reported search, of which 12 presented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers are tabulated. We concluded that there is evidence that radial artery grafts have a higher rate of patency than saphenous vein grafts. Surgeons can confidently use the radial artery as a second arterial bypass graft, particularly in patients with severe native-vessel stenosis.