[Use of inferior epigastric artery for coronary artery bypass grafting].

Between 3/91 and 3/93 twenty-nine patients (pts.) with a mean age of 55 years (30-68) underwent CABG (including 3 reoperation) using inferior epigastric artery (IEA) in addition to internal thoracic artery and saphenous vein graft. IEAs were harvested as pedicles with a mean length of 12.2 cm (7.5-17). Overall distal anastomoses were performed 3.2 per patients. And a mean of 2.3 anastomoses were completed as an arterial graft. IEA grafts were applied to left anterior descending artery in 10, diagonal branch in 15, in marginal branches in 2 and right coronary artery in 2. Mean cardiopulmonary bypass time amounted to 103 minutes and operation procedures were completed in 258 minutes (mean). Aortic cross clamp time of 48 minutes were required. One patient was died of cerebral accident 23 days postoperatively. Except for two abdominal wall infection no wound healing problems occurred. One reexploration for bleeding were necessary. Postoperative angiography revealed patent IEA grafts in 12 of 13 patients (92%). We concluded that the application of IEAs for CABG is available as a third arterial graft and with respect to intraoperative management and perioperative complications use of IEA combined with ITAs appears suited or superior to the use of the right gastroepiploic artery.