Absence of deterioration of vascular function of the donor limb at late follow-up after radial artery harvesting.

OBJECTIVE

Radial artery harvesting has been questioned because of purported long-term circulatory consequences. Previous midterm Doppler ultrasonographic results are inconsistent regarding ulnar arterial effects. Flow-mediated vasodilatation more sensitively measures response to shear stress as index of arterial reactivity and function.

METHODS

We contacted 231 patients who had undergone radial artery harvesting at least 10 years previously (mean follow-up, 12.9 ± 0.8 years). Subcohort of 25 volunteers (mean age, 69.2 ± 8.4 years) underwent ultrasonographic evaluation of ipsilateral (harvest) and contralateral (control) ulnar arteries. Flow-mediated vasodilatation compared changes in ulnar arterial diameters before and after occlusion.

RESULTS

In subcohort, peak systolic velocity of harvest ulnar artery was 0.82 ± 0.15 m/s, versus 0.63 ± 0.23 m/s on control side (P < .001), with no differences in intimomedial thickness (P = .763) or presence of atherosclerotic plaques (P = .364). Baseline diameter of harvest ulnar artery was 3.0 ± 0.5 mm, versus 2.7 ± 0.6 mm on control side (P = .007). Postocclusion diameter of harvest ulnar artery was 3.2 ± 0.5 mm, versus 2.9 ± 0.6 mm on control side (P = .001). No differences were seen in preocclusion and postocclusion absolute and percentage changes in ulnar arterial diameter (Table 1).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite increased shear stress, no deterioration in either ulnar arterial structure or functional reactivity was measured by flow-mediated vasodilatation more than 10 years after radial artery harvesting. With appropriate preoperative evaluation, radial arterial grafting for coronary artery bypass grafting is not associated with long-term donor limb vascular insufficiency.