[Long-term results in 1,400 patients with coronary artery bypass grafting: saphenous vein vs arterial grafts].

To analyze and compare the effects of saphenous vein grafts (SVG) and arterial grafts (AG) on the long-term results of the coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), retrospective nonrandomized studies were performed in 1,400 consecutive patients with CABG in terms of reoperation, postoperative transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) to the grafts, actuarial survival rate, and cumulative event free rate. AG was used frequently in recent cases in which more diffuse and multiple vessel disease were encountered. No statistically significant differences were noted in any of the reoperation free rate, actuarial survival rate, success rate of the PTCA, and cumulative event free rate between SVG and AG, because the long-term results of the SVG was apparently better than reported Caucasian's long-term results, while those of the AG were as good as Caucasian's. Reoperation and PTCA for the AG were performed less than one year after the CABG in most cases and restenosis after the PTCA was rare. In contrast, those for the SVG were mainly done late postoperative period, and the incidence of the restenosis after the PTCA was very high. These results indicated that the main cause of the graft failure in the AG was technic-related, and that of the SVG was graft's atherosclerosis. We conclude from this study that AG should be indicated more extensively than SVG, but proper indication and application of the AG in various situations and technical improvement to avoid stenosis at anastomosis are important to improve the long-term results of the CABG.