Antithrombotic therapy in patients with saphenous vein and internal mammary artery bypass grafts following percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

Reprint requests: Dr. Stein, Henry Furd Hospital, 2799 West Grand Blvd, E&R 4015, Detroit 48202 within one day after operation1 showed a beneficial effect, irrespective of the dose of aspirin. Also, all studies in which aspirin or dipyridamole was administered before operationM or within one day after operation6 showed a beneficial effect. No studies in which aspirin or aspirin plus dipyridamole was started two or more days after surgery showed a beneficial effect.LGL4 Almost immediately after harvesting the saphenous vein, the endothelium is lost, and the raw surface is vulnerable to platelet aggregation.15 This