In situ right internal thoracic artery graft via transverse sinus for revascularization of posterolateral wall: early results in 116 cases.

The in situ right internal thoracic artery graft brought through the transverse sinus was used to revascularize the posterolateral wall in 116 patients. Its advantages were assessed retrospectively. The graft was anastomosed to the circumflex marginal branch in 70 patients (60%) or to the posterolateral branch in 41 patients (35%). One patient died (mortality rate 0.9%). Perioperative myocardial infarction occurred outside the territory of the right internal thoracic artery graft in 10 patients, four of whom required mechanical support for hemodynamic deterioration. Postoperative early angiography in 114 patients found the graft to be patent in 97.4%. The ratio of the diameter of the right internal thoracic artery to that of the recipient marginal branch was 0.94 +/- 0.18 (n = 69), and that to the posterolateral branch was 0.88 +/- 0.18 (n = 37) (not significantly different). Results of a postoperative stress test were abnormal in one patient (1/96 tested patients). This retrospective study suggests that the right internal thoracic artery brought through the transverse sinus to revascularize the posterolateral wall provided excellent early patency and good clinical results, even to the most distally located branches. This continues to be our procedure of choice for patients with multivessel coronary disease.