Multicentre Radial Artery Patency Study: Results of Patency Beyond 5 Years After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Bypass surgery is often required to treat severe coronary heart disease. Either arteries or veins can be used as bypass grafts. We wish to compare the long-term durability of the saphenous vein from the leg to that of the radial artery from the fore-arm when used as bypass grafts. We are examining how many of these grafts are still functioning beyond 5 years after bypass surgery by performing a coronary angiogram. After 1-year, we found that radial arteries were more likely to be functioning than saphenous veins. We hypothesize that radial arteries will continue to be superior beyond 5 years.