The influence of serum triglycerides on the fate of aorto-coronary vein grafts.

Fasting blood lipids were analyzed shortly before revascularization surgery in an attempt to find a possible correlation between the fate of the aortocoronary saphenous vein graft and lipoproteinemia. The patency of the bypass was evaluated by arteriography at two weeks and at one year following operation. Patients with closed grafts at two weeks had an original mean serum triglyceride concentration of 287 mg./100 ml. Patients with grafts which were widely patent after one year had an original triglyceridemia of 224 mg./100 ml. The severely stenosed group had an intermediate average preoperative value of 224 mg./100 ml. The same conclusion was reached with a group of patients with good vessel(s) distal to the graft(s). Cholesterolemia was about the same in all groups. These results suggest the hypothesis that hypertriglyceridemia plays a significant role in the reduction and/or occlusion of the lumen of the vein graft.