Evaluating the Role of Thrombin in Saphenous Vein Graft Failure After Heart Bypass Surgery

Heart bypass surgery, also known as coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, creates a detour around the blocked part of a heart artery to restore blood supply to the heart muscle. The saphenous vein, located along the inside of the leg, is commonly used to create the bypass in a CABG surgery. An abnormal increase in the blood clotting protein thrombin may cause the saphenous vein graft to close up and eventually fail. This study will evaluate the relationship between thrombin levels and saphenous vein graft failures in people undergoing a CABG procedure.