Arterialization in coronary artery surgery in Japan and Hong Kong.

In the 35 years of coronary artery bypass grafting, several kinds of conduits have been utilized and assessed. It is clear now that the saphenous vein graft deteriorated with time mainly due to atherosclerosis in the graft called "vein graft disease." The internal thoracic artery graft, on the contrary, stays patent very well in the long-term period and this evidence directly related to the superior later outcome in terms of longevity and postoperative cardiac events. To extend the use of arterial conduits for myocardial revascularization, several autologous arteries have been investigated and utilized clinically. With proper use of these new arterial conduits in addition to internal thoracic artery, coronary artery bypass grafting with multi-arterial grafts can be performed safely, and better long term result can be expected.