The internal mammary artery graft: the best choice for bypass of the diseased left anterior descending coronary artery.

The atherosclerotic plaque that critically obstructs the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery is three times more likely to produce a fatal myocardial infarction than lesions in the other coronary arteries. Severe obstruction in a bypass graft to the proximally stenosed left anterior descending artery is probably at high risk of provoking a fatal infarction. Selection of the bypass graft with adequate flow and the greatest longevity is of great importance. Review of 298 patients who received internal mammary artery grafts illustrates that this bypass has excellent long-term patency, minimal attrition, and little evidence suggesting late atherosclerotic formation. Difficulties with anastomosis and pedicle injury during preparation (the most frequent reasons for internal mammary artery failure) can be reduced to 2% or less by introducing magnification and microsurgical techniques. The properly prepared internal mammary artery graft has the longest lasting patency and should be used when bypassing proximal left anterior descending lesions.